Ryanair: A bus that flies

There's a lot to read about why Ryanair is weird. They charge a la carte for each and every little thing, like for online booking, for an actual suitcase, etc. Read about it on Ryanair's site.
There was even talk about them charging you to use the bathroom, and even more wacky, they were talking about having porn available on board for an extra fee. (According to an interview London's The Sun tabloid, Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary said that he meant on handheld devices, not on seat-back screens.)

We were having panic attacks before we left LA trying to figure out how we were going to meet the weight restrictions, deal with the fees, and so on. One of the issues, supposedly, was that you can only have one carry-on per person. What that means to you, supposedly, is that you need to wear your carry-ons. If you carry a coat instead of wearing it, it now morphs into a carry-on. (If you don't mind looking like a shoplifter, you can wear all your clothes instead of packing them.) I circumvented the whole issue by wearing cargo pants and a coat with many pockets. (sneaky)

Well, it's all talk until you get there. Everything is theoretical until you're standing in line with your ticket clenched in your hand and a bag slung over your shoulder. Fact of the matter is: It's a bus that flies. It's neat and tidy and efficient. It's for students, not-so-fussy travelers and it's for cheapskates. It's for people like me. Beware though. Your cheap $9.99 fare will end up costing you maybe $30.00 after fees. But so what? You'd pay $300 on any other airline.

Remarkably (and mercifully) the girl at the check-in desk at Ciampino Airport in Rome was delightfully attentive, polite, good spirited, forgiving, (Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean and Reverent for you Boy Scouts) and good-looking. She wasn't, as various travel blogs claimed Ryanair personnel to be, disciplinarian or unflinching in their rule following. None of them were. The overall attitude seemed to be, "Let's just get there."

Once on the plane, it was clear that this was simply a bus that flies; stiff plastic seats with bright yellow highlights, but with stewardesses. It's a bus for goodness sake.

I liked it.

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