Algorfa Costa Blanca

I recently flew to Alicante and back with Ryanair, who I find to be the cheapest, from Leeds Bradfpord Airport. Therein lies the rub, so to speak. I find it bizarre that people complain that the service standards are not very good.I find people moan about the procedures for dealing with hand luggage. When will these moaners wake up to the following facts:-

Ryanair fares are lower than Jet2 , although you can book a seat and load a heavier case with Jet2.
Ryanair is the National Express Coach service of the air, so you should not expect Emirates Airways standards.
Rules on hand luggage are designed to make it quicker for those who follow the rules, most problems are self=made by idiots , who think they are entitled to use anything of any size as “hand lugggae” .Stick to the measurements set out by the government , as part of anti security(not Ryanair) and you wil not have any hassle. Weigh your main cases and keep it under the 15kgs allowed. It is quite easy, use a pair of bathroom scales or buy a cheaper hand held scales.

All issues are avoidable. Late running flights are usually air traffic control issues outside Ryanair’s control.

You pay for what you get, so if you want top level service fly with some other airline, and make my flight more comfortable.

I cannot wait for the day they start charging passengers by weight, I had the most comfortable journey back wedged into the window seat by an extremely obeses couple who must have weighed at least 40 stones between them. It is not very nice to have someone’s overweight thighs seeping under your arm rest into your limited seat area, I can tell you.

Accept Ryanair is a “budget” airline with no frills, and they do have good staff. The crew on my flight home gave much better service than some BA flights I have been on.

My sources tell me that a new bar is opening on Montebello, just up from Montys. I understand it will be non-smoking inside and will serve food. I do not have the full details butthis will be good news for those non-smokers, who do not use Montys Bar for that reason. I do question the viability of such a venture. However , it may encourage other businesses in to Montebello. A local grocery shop would be very welcome, if anyone is looking for a business opportunity.

I am amazed that the media are not reporting this damaging strike, which has disrupted the travel plans of many over the past few days. It should be over today, so hopefull I will get to Alicante on FR9079, which left Leeds/Bradford at 12.20 UK time, some 16 hours and 25 minutes late. I am gald I did not re-book my cancelled flight to that one, I would not have fancied a night at the airport.

It is even more exasperating for me that flights are getting through, although Ryanair has had a number of cancellations today. If only they had let mine go last night!! What have French Air Traffic Control got against Ryanair? Or was it cancelled on the pretext of the strike because the plane would not have been any where near full??? Makes me wonder, in these days of recession. Am I just being cynical because of my disappointment?

Why was this strike not publicised on the UK TV channels? Why was there no warnings of possible disruption on Ryanair website? Having booked my first visit home to Algorfa in six months, to visit my wife, I duly set off from Scarborough to Leeds Bradford Airport. Everything ran like clockwork. The Transpennine Express was on time, I even caught the 757 bus to the airport as soon as I got out of Leeds Station. At the airport, I checked in with Ryanair and there was no mention or indication of any problems.

I went through security checks and browsed the duty free shop, before having a look at the departures board. Flight FR9079 was due to leave at 19.55, so you can imagine my chagrin that it was the only flight showing as delayed, with an estimated departure time of 22.30. My wife would then have to pick me up at about 2 am, instead of 11.35.

I set up my laptop and checked the AENA Alicante Airport site, as well as Ryanair’s site. Ryanair showed “ON TIME” no mention of any strikes at 6.15 pm. AENA website advised that Flight FR9078 left ay 19.04 Spanish time, 18.04 UK time. This did not seem to reconcile an arrival time (estimated) at 22.00, as the flight would be no more than 3 hours. Resigned to the wait, I bought refredhments and started chatting to fellow passengers. At about 18.30 it was announced that the flight was cancelled. How could that be? It says it has left Alicante, where has the plane gone? To this day I still do not know if it returned to Alicante or went where it could fly.

We were herded back to “ground side” and reclaimed our bags and had to queue at the Servisair desk to see what options were available. It was at this point the reason for the cancellation was outlined. There was a mixture of emotions, some resigned to the fact (mainly people who lived nearby) others panicked, one lady had been over to Cleethorpes for a funeral and was going back home to Spain , she had had no less than 3 train journies that day and did not know what to do.

Alternative flights or cancellations were offered at both Leeds Bradford and other airports. The option of Birmingham at 6 am today was not any good to me, expecially as I was travelling by rail and Ryanair would not pay the extra fares. Besides that, it was unlikely to fly due to the strike (which defied logic and flew albeit late). Fortunately for me there were no flights at LBIA until Saturday 27th, so I have rebooked it at no extra cost in the hope that the strike will be over. Ryanair site now carries a news item suggest the strike is from 23rd to 26th. It has cost me an extra £35 travelling back to Scarborough, which I think Ryanair should pay for failing to warn people about the strike on their website before my flight was cancelled.

The British TV media cannot escape criticism, as they obviously did not consider this story as news worthy, too busy debating whether the Prime Minister is a “bully” or not!!!