Ryanair.com

Ryanair is without doubt one of the lowest cost airlines on the market. It operates 400 aircrafts, serving over 35 countries in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. When comparing prices with other airlines, there is almost no competition: Ryanair comes out on top every single time.

However, there are numerous hidden costs that, by the time you come to purchase your ticket, have added up significantly. There’s a fee for web check-in, passenger fee, admin and even carry-on luggage, meaning you might not have necessarily grabbed the bargain you had expected at the start.

After selecting the departure time of your journey, you are asked to choose a Standard Fare, Plus, or Flexi Plus, with corresponding benefits and changes in price. ‘Plus’ includes a 20kg bag and 2 cabin bags, while ‘Flexi Plus’ offers the same, as well as free airport check-in and flexible tickets. For me, Plus tickets tend to strike a good balance between a low fare and convenience, while Flexi Plus bookings seem like more of a luxury.

Once your booking has been added to the basket, you are offered even more additions to your reservation, such as travel insurance, security fast track and airport parking. Even when you click ‘check out’ to finalise your booking, there is a pop-up tempting you pay more to select your seat. I thought all these pop-ups and add-ons were very distracting, adding more stress than was necessary to the whole process.

Nevertheless, the option to also book a rental car with no-fee cancellation, on top of the opportunity for free car hire if you can find a cheaper alternative, were both good features. The website also contains lots of information you can read before your flight, while their ‘Destination of the Week’ is great if you are planning a trip, but don’t know where to go.