Having arrived three hours before my flight at Stanstead I was pleasantly surprised to find the check in desk for my destination was already open. However, the queue was already the longest in that part of the airport. Still, I had plenty of time and was looking forward to a pre-flight drink in the departure lounge. Whilst waiting for my turn I was approached by a Ryanair representative who was selling tickets for priority boarding at the price of £2 a head. This is to try to entice the few people who have managed to remove the priority boarding charge when booking online. I ignored it figuring that many of the passengers already have priority boarding so it will be of little use. However, it got me wondering how long it would be before Michael O'Leary introduces a priority check in charge allowing you to pay extra for a guaranteed speedy check in. After half an hour in the queue it is a price I would have gladly paid.
Finally my turn came and I explained that I wanted to check in an extra bag. "No problem", I was informed "but we cannot accept payments here so you will have to go to the Ryanair ticket desk to pay. When you come back with your receipt I will give you your boarding card". Admittedly I was told to come to top of the queue when I returned.
Rather than get involved in an argument about why I was unable to belatedly check in a extra bag online (bags can only be checked in at the time of making an online booking) I headed to the back of an even bigger queue at the ticket desk and paid twice the online price for checking in my bag.
Boarding card finally in hand I queued to go through security and again to go though a shoe check with just two seats available for people to put their footwear back on again.
At this stage the flight time was almost due and I was reminded that all gates are at least 12 minutes from the departure lounge. So I decided to head for Gate 56 and sure enough about 12 minutes later I got there only to find out that there was no bar in the vicinity. I headed back upstairs just in time to hear the boarding for the Kerry flight being announced. So I again stood in line (well not really a line, more of a scrum) while those with priority passes boarded fought their way through and then joined I the free for all for seats.
Once seated on the flight we were informed that there would now be a 20 minutes delay due to a queue for a runway slot. Dehydration was by now setting in but luckily we took off soon afterwards. I even got to drink some warm beer on the way home and I landed at my destination 15 minutes early to an embarrassing round of applause.
Plagarized from the local rag but I fully agree with it... Meggers
Finally my turn came and I explained that I wanted to check in an extra bag. "No problem", I was informed "but we cannot accept payments here so you will have to go to the Ryanair ticket desk to pay. When you come back with your receipt I will give you your boarding card". Admittedly I was told to come to top of the queue when I returned.
Rather than get involved in an argument about why I was unable to belatedly check in a extra bag online (bags can only be checked in at the time of making an online booking) I headed to the back of an even bigger queue at the ticket desk and paid twice the online price for checking in my bag.
Boarding card finally in hand I queued to go through security and again to go though a shoe check with just two seats available for people to put their footwear back on again.
At this stage the flight time was almost due and I was reminded that all gates are at least 12 minutes from the departure lounge. So I decided to head for Gate 56 and sure enough about 12 minutes later I got there only to find out that there was no bar in the vicinity. I headed back upstairs just in time to hear the boarding for the Kerry flight being announced. So I again stood in line (well not really a line, more of a scrum) while those with priority passes boarded fought their way through and then joined I the free for all for seats.
Once seated on the flight we were informed that there would now be a 20 minutes delay due to a queue for a runway slot. Dehydration was by now setting in but luckily we took off soon afterwards. I even got to drink some warm beer on the way home and I landed at my destination 15 minutes early to an embarrassing round of applause.
Plagarized from the local rag but I fully agree with it... Meggers
