Oh Ryanair! You are Europe’s largest carrier and the one people either adore or the one they think is crap. I can overlook various niggles but charging a lot for bad food really annoys me. Let’s have a look at a recent flight of mine.
I checked in the night before for this flight meaning I could go straight through security when I arrived at the airport. Interestingly, fast track security is cheaper bought via Ryanair than direct with Dublin Airport which is very nice.
FR332 – Dublin to London Luton (DUB-LTN)
26 September 2017
Boeing 737-800 – EI-FZP
Seat: Economy Class 6A
Departure: 08:15 Arrival: 09:30
While waiting at Gate 109, we were all advised to change to Gate 104 which everyone did. Boarding commenced soon after in the usual Ryanair manner. Priority boarding first, then everyone else. You then wait at the bottom of the steps before being allowed on the aircraft.
Sky Interior
A lot of the fleet features the Boeing Sky Interior which I think looks pretty nice. The seating is designed to be low maintenance and low weight yet leg room is on par with or perhaps even greater than what British Airways offer on their European fleet.
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- Ryanair’s cabin
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- Lots of knee room
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- Rear of the seat
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- Nice large overhead bins
Ryanair board through both front and rear doors and boarding passes reflect where you are to go. It makes the boarding time extremely fast though it is a bummer when it is raining as you’re outside.
Safety First
Once everyone is seated and the aircraft doors are closed it is time for the safety demonstration. Once upon a time you could not understand a word of it thanks to the heavy accents of the crew. Nowadays it’s pre-recorded which is better for everyone.
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- Ryanair’s safety instructions
Safety information is displayed on a sticker on the back of the seat in front of you. This is done to prevent damaged or missing cards having to be replaced. Only the front rows have traditional cards.
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- Leaving Ireland behind
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- Above the cloud layer
Our cockpit crew advised we were running ahead of schedule and expected to get into the air quickly. This was no joke and we took off with almost no holding at all.
Runway Retail
Instead of a traditional inflight magazine, Runway Retail is handed out to passengers by the crew. It is chock full of things to buy and also contains the food menu.
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- The issue in September 2017
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- Here are some food options
Having skipped breakfast as a time saving measure, I decided I would have a Breakfast Burrito and a water. The crew came by and I placed my order, being told to ask for the water later as the guy was only taking hot food orders.
A Change In Choice
Regrettably there were no Breakfast Burrito’s remaining so I decided on the Pancakes. These are priced at €5 and looked nice enough in their little picture in the magazine.
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- Cabin view from 6A
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- The 737-800 in flight!
Soon, the crew came by with the trolley and I ordered my water and paid for both the Pancakes and the water. The smiling crew member happily took my money and off they went.
What Is This Crap?
I really like food and I am also pretty forgiving when it comes to items on aircraft. However, when I am paying for something I expect better than this.
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- Trays don’t slide out towards you
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- Pancake delivery!
Everything looks fine here, doesn’t it? The box reminds me very much of the box they serve the hot chips in, which is no surprise as they come from the same company. Opening the box revealed breakfast.
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- Really Ryanair?
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- The full spread
Did you seriously just charge me €5.00 for nine of the tiniest pancakes you ever saw? I couldn’t believe it. This probably cost about 14 cents to make. Plus it is not filling at all. Sure, drop icing sugar on it and it’s fine but FIVE EURO? Not even some maple syrup to go on top?
Of course I ate it all – I had to get something for my money. Not a chance of me ordering those again though! Soon after everything was collected and we landed into the hell hole that is Luton Airport.
Overall Thoughts
To be fair to Ryanair they have lifted their game from days gone by and I think the food is quite okay on board. However the pancakes are a lot of money for very little substance.
My advice is to drop the price to something reflecting the quantity or add more pancakes. I wouldn’t be so annoyed if the meal wasn’t so small. Truly, the pancakes could barely be described as bite size.
Thank you for reading and if you have any comments or questions, please leave them below.
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These look like the mini Dutch style pancakes Domino’s here in Australia sells.
They probably are, you know. I haven’t had Domino’s in Australia for quite a long time so I haven’t seen them… Dutch style makes sense as, well, you know… Ryanair is European! I must ask someone Dutch.
Lol, they’re called poffertjes in Holland, and icing sugar is the traditional topping, not maple syrup.
Ahh, well that makes sense then! I’ll have to try them when I’m next in the Netherlands. Thanks for that!
You’re forgetting Ryanair don’t care about customer service. Their model is purely based on being so cheap that people will always use them. They don’t care if they lose a few down to not being flexible or showing a caring side, as others will always say “oh go on, they’re the cheapest, let’s go with them again.” I voted with my feet many years ago after they refused to check my friends in who arrived one minute after the cut-off for check-in saying they would hold up the flight. These were able bodied 20 somethings who could easily run and… Read more »
That’s quite true all round really. I read in the Irish Times that they have had to e-mail the customers experiencing flight cancellations to be quite blunt about their obligations rather than glossing over the fact. I think in some respects they get away with quite a lot. I hear you on the check-in closure time. They are very strict with everything, including excess baggage and so on. In a way it makes sense though – you know the times and know the limits and know if you go over they will charge you and not give you any wiggle… Read more »
Good to know about how Ryan Air inflight food is. Atleast a small cup of pancake syrup would do good, that dish looks terrible.
As far as i know in Indian and Asian Market in budget airline industry, I tried Airasia inflight food almost 6 times and it never disappointed me. They have lots of variety too. I prefer Airasia mainly for the food.
Yes, I don’t mind paying for food at all, as long as what I am getting is decent enough value. I will have to try Air Asia sometime and see what it is is like. I do like to eat, so after what you say I’d like to try their food. Thanks for the comment!
This is a budget carrier, not a restaurant. Why did you spend your money on food there rather than at a restaurant before or afterwards?
Also, you ALWAYS pay for your food the airline provides. Ryanair just gives you the option of not buying.
I know, tell me about it. I really should have had something at the airport, looking back at it. The food is fine, it’s just not enough – and €5 is extortion for that pancake option. I’ve had the croissant and the chips before and was quite happy with what I received. This was not great, alas. Thanks for the comment!
Why would you buy anything on ryanair it is known they sometimes keep things for months end
I skipped breakfast so I was hungry. You are right, I once had a burger in 2009 with a 2018 expiry date. Remarkable! It was also incredibly bad, so I said never again. The food is a little better now though! Thanks for reading!