# Choosing between Ryanair or Aer Lingus to fly to Rome from Dublin



## STEINER (12 Jun 2009)

Hi,

I am flying to Rome from Dublin for a wedding in September. 

Has anyone flown into both Rome airports with Ryanair and Aer Lingus?

If Ryanair proves cheaper, is the time and hassle of getting into Rome city not worth it?


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## EvilDoctorK (12 Jun 2009)

Ciampino airport which Ryanair use is (unusually for them  ) actually closer to central Rome than Fiumicino airport which Aer Lingus use.


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## helsbells (12 Jun 2009)

Read the small print regarding baggage allowance with Ryanair.  

They do not allow sharing of baggage allowances, even within a party travelling on the same reservation.

Aer Lingus do.


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## Smashbox (12 Jun 2009)

I would go with the cheapest tbh.


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## Goomigen (12 Jun 2009)

Bear in mind also the unnecessay indignities that Ryanair inflict on their passengers, like unallocated seating which means you have to queue like cattle to board the plane, or pay extra for priority boarding which just means you have a choice of two queues instead of one, the 'charity' scratch cards which they flog on board while refusing to divulge what proportion of their cost actually goes to charity, or the fact that on the last three flights I've taken with them (all in the last 4 months) they have never had their complete menu available. Last time they had no sandwiches or food of any sort available on a lunchtime flight, time before that they had no hot water so no hot drinks were available.  Basically I always compare prices between Ryanair and any other airline plus the comparative transfer costs from the airport and weight that against the irritations sometimes minor, sometimes major that I always have with Ryanair.  If cost was not a factor I would never fly Ryanair.  Taking costs into account it's working out about 60% Ryanair, 40% others, in other words don't assume, taking all costs into account, that they are always cheaper because they're not.


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## Guest128 (12 Jun 2009)

Goomigen said:


> Bear in mind also the unnecessay indignities that Ryanair inflict on their passengers, like unallocated seating which means you have to queue like cattle to board the plane, or pay extra for priority boarding which just means you have a choice of two queues instead of one



Really dont understand why people do either of these things. All the seats are the same, bar the ones beside the emergency exits. Really annoying the way people start queuing when Ryanair announce the gates will open in 10 minutes!


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## television (12 Jun 2009)

I would use airlingus as there is a a very convenient train service from the airport airlingus fly into which brings you into termini station. Its 35E via taxi from ryanair airport to rome. I dont actually think there is much difference in terms of price between ryan air and airlingus. I dont know what the public transport is like from the airport Ryanair use.


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## Goomigen (13 Jun 2009)

People usually queue because they like to sit with family or partners, which I don't think is unreasonable, in fact having had to put up with the back of my seat being continuously kicked by two unsupervised children who sat behind me on a flight from Luton to Dublin recently I think it should be compulsory!


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## SLS (13 Jun 2009)

From personal experience I don't think the queuing system changes too much regardless of the airline be it Ryanair, Aer Lingus or any other

Ive flown recently on Aer Araan and all allocated seats but still the scrum at check-in, I suspect its the chase to the overhead baggage areas


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## notnem (13 Jun 2009)

Personally I'd go with Ryanair whenever possible because you know they are not going to go on strike. For my last flight with Aer Lingus (December 08), I ended up having to book Ryanair flights to cover the possibility of Aer Lingus going on strike. Learned my lesson and I only use Aer Lingus when I have no other choice.


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## Mauri (13 Jun 2009)

Goomigen said:


> People usually queue because they like to sit with family or partners, which I don't think is unreasonable, in fact having had to put up with the back of my seat being continuously kicked by two unsupervised children who sat behind me on a flight from Luton to Dublin recently I think it should be compulsory!



I recently traveled on an Aer Lingus flight from Malaga and even before take off two children behind us started kicking and I mean kicking. Parents were seated accross the isle from them,  mother ignored them father pleaded, naged and threatened the all to no avail.

After about a hour we asked them nicely to try to not kick our seats, they ignored us to. Eventually I asked the cabin manager could she have a word with them. Her reply "I'm sure you were children once yourselves" I have a full plane to look after.


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## pansyflower (13 Jun 2009)

Why didn't you swap with the parents? 
OK, I know why not! They refused!


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## Goomigen (14 Jun 2009)

Ryanair may not go on strike but they cancel flights at the last minute, it's happened to me twice in the last four years... No come-back, no apology.


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## PyritePete (14 Jun 2009)

Aer Lingus for me, better facilities at the airport. Have flown in with A Lingus and home with Ryanair. If theres little price difference between them & giving the ease of getting public transport then I would opt for Aer Lingus.


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## roker (14 Jun 2009)

Don't forget Luggage allowance. Ryanair 15kg   Aer Lingus 20kg. and online checking with Ryanair


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## IsleOfMan (15 Jun 2009)

FLANDERS` said:


> Really dont understand why people do either of these things. All the seats are the same, bar the ones beside the emergency exits. Really annoying the way people start queuing when Ryanair announce the gates will open in 10 minutes!


 
As someone with claustrophobia I need to have a seat toward the front of the plane.


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## galwegian44 (15 Jun 2009)

Would have to disagree SLS, after 14 months of flying Ryanaiar to the UK every second week I've switched to Aer Arann for my last 3 flights and I feel liberated. Instead of being herded like cattle to unallocated seats I just relax and wait for 'my section' to be called and board the plane to find my reserved seat....very dignified altogether.

I switched because after checking Ryanair prices I went back to the site minutes later only to find that the price had risen by 75%....nothing unusual or untoward but enough for me to finally call it a day with them. I'm quite happy paying the extra money (it's not that much in most cases) and not worrying about baggage, terms and conditions and snotty nosed hosts/hostesses.

I have no connection with Aer Arann other than having flown with them for my last 3 flights, which reminds me, I have to book for next week.

Bye Bye Ryanair!!



SLS said:


> From personal experience I don't think the queuing system changes too much regardless of the airline be it Ryanair, Aer Lingus or any other
> 
> Ive flown recently on Aer Araan and all allocated seats but still the scrum at check-in, I suspect its the chase to the overhead baggage areas


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## purpeller (15 Jun 2009)

There is a regular private bus company now going from Ciampino to Termini (main railway station) every 20 mins or so.  Tickets can be bought online before.  This is much improved on the first time I flew with Ryanair to Ciampino, when you had to get an infrequent local bus to the end of the metro line to get into Rome.  

I think either airport is easily accessible these days so I wouldn't choose Aer Lingus over Ryanair or vice versa on that basis alone.


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## STEINER (15 Jun 2009)

Hi,

I decided to go with Ryanair this time.  Its only for  a 2 day stay in Rome for a wedding, and I have seen the Eternal City before. For two people Ryanair worked out at €440, including bus return to city, while Aer Lingus was coming to €587, including train return to city.  The price differences were too much for me to ignore, and I wanted to book flights now.  Maybe flights might be cheaper in 2 months time, but they may be dearer too.  I went for the priority boarding too, but only because I am tall and my wife is tall as well, and we like to get the emergency aisle seats for a bit of extra legroom, especially on flights of 2-3 hrs.

Last year we went to Seville with Ryanair, ( Aer Lingus didnt fly there from Dublin).  Fair play to Ryanair, only direct flights from Dublin.  Everything was grand, except no priority boarding in operation on return journey, but we got emergency aisle seats anyway.  On contacting their Customer Service, we got a refund of the priority boarding fee for the return leg.


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## roker (15 Jun 2009)

You must be the first to obtain a refund from Ryanair
If you are taking enough luggage for a holiday, Ryanair will charge you €8 per kilo after 15 kilo, so if you have max baggage of 20kilo as Aerlingus allowance, you will pay €40 per person, one way €80 x 2 rtn = €160 extra for two people rtn. which would make your fare for Ryanair €600.

Aer Arann only allow 15kg, but I have a letter from them stating that if you can prove you have a connection flight with 20 kg they will waiver the excess charge up to 20 kg


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## Locke (15 Jun 2009)

I flew with Ryanair into Ciampino and it was extremely handy.


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## Mauri (15 Jun 2009)

pansyflower said:


> Why didn't you swap with the parents?
> OK, I know why not! They refused!




To be honest with you I never thought of that. I think I was too gob smacked at the utter lack of control the parents had over their children. Should have told them to attend a parenting course or buy a bottle of common sense.


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## Goomigen (16 Jun 2009)

I have children - three of them - and I've travelled all over with them but I never allowed them to inflict their bad behaviour on others. When we travelled I prepared for it - each of them had a little backpack with a drink, a snack, a new book, colouring book, colouring pencils, cd player with a new cd with either music or a story depending on their age.  I also reconciled myself to the fact that both my husband and myself would have to spend the entire flight supervising them and keeping them occupied, that's parenting!  The parents of the children who kicked my seat non-stop chose not to sit with their own children, the mother was reading a magazine and the father was doing a crossword, they neither supervised their children nor provided them with ANYTHING to keep them amused - a total abdication of all responsibility!


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## Goomigen (16 Jun 2009)

If I'm smug - you're judgmental! It's just not rocket science, if adults need diversion on a flight so do their children.


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## Sumatra (16 Jun 2009)

Remember the scrum to board the Ryanair aircraft isn't initiated by children but by badly behaved adults.

Bad parenting in times past no doubt!


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## Mauri (16 Jun 2009)

lionstour said:


> Do you have children?



Yes four.


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## Goomigen (16 Jun 2009)

I have no interest in getting involved with trading insults with lionstour, I made a simple point - if you have children, you take responsibility for them.


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## gombeen99 (22 Jun 2009)

The Rome airport Ryanair flies into amazingly is quite close to Rome city.  I got a bus (Terravision or similar) into the city centre, very convenient & a short trip, nothing like Pisa (for Florence) or Paris Beauvais.


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## STEINER (23 Nov 2009)

I went with Ryanair to Rome and everything went well.  We used the terravision bus, booked online for 8 euro return and it was grand.  We were waiting about 30 mins for bus into Rome as bit of a queue, but it wasn't a major issue.  The bus only took about 30 mins or maybe less into the city centre ( termini train station) and our hotel was 5 mins walk away.

On any flight, you don't control who sits beside you, regardless of who you fly with.  Going over, a screaming toddler was behind us, but returning to Dublin, we avoided the large noisy Italian student group as they didnt pay the priority boarding charge!


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## PyritePete (26 Nov 2009)

we recently returned from Rome with our young daughter, A Lingus were fantastic on way out and back, gave us 3 seats although our daughter is under 2. Told other passengers that the overhead lockers were reserved for our carry on luggage. Cabin staff were brilliant, gave our daughter some treats on way out & back. Collapsible stroller was no problem either. Got a taxi into Rome and back again = 80 quid. As everyone knows boarding with young children is a priority, so no scrum.


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## BOXtheFOX (26 Nov 2009)

PyritePete said:


> Told other passengers that the overhead lockers were reserved for our carry on luggage.


 
I have to say that this bugs me with Ryanair. I have seen so many people getting on the plane and putting their luggage in the overhead lockers to the front of the plane then they take a seat at the back of the plane.


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## sunrock (26 Nov 2009)

I don`t queue.I just sit down and wait till there are just a few people left. Granted it is not for everyone and if everyone did it it wouldn`t work.


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