Flight check: Ryanair

Published: 01/02/2006 - Filed under: Archive » 2006 » February 2006 » Tried and Tested » Tried & Tested » Airlines » Tried & Tested » Airlines » Ryanair » Import errors »

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First impressions The Stansted Express was on time and I arrived at the airport at 1636 for my 1845 Thursday flight. The concourse was busy but there were just two people ahead of me at desk 92 in Zone F, which is to the left as you enter. The check-in assistant was friendly and quick. The gate, number46, had already been assigned. However, there was a 15-minute queue togo through the security check.

The lounge There is no Ryanair business lounge, but wireless internet connection is available at various points. There is a small T-Mobile Hot Spot on the right after you pass through security, which also has sockets to charge laptop batteries. Wifi connections cost £5 for an hour. For refreshments there are bars and cafés, plus the Caviar House seafood bar, with gravadlax and dill (£11.50), lobster (£29.50) and a half-bottle of champagne for £21. Staff will make up trays for passengers to take on board their flights.

Boarding The boarding announcement came at 1810 and, as there are no allocated seats, a long queue formed immediately. Each boarding card has a security number in the top left corner, and passengers are asked to queue either to the left or the right depending on their number. We moved along quickly, and there was a scramble for seats.

The seat The all-economy class cabin of the 737-800 has a 3-3 configuration.Seats have a 76cm pitch and are 43.7cm wide. Peter Sherrard, Ryanair's head of communications, told me before departure that seats on most flights do not recline, but they did on my flight (apparently my plane is one of the last remaining to be revamped with non-reclining seats),which made things cramped. I am 5ft 8in, and there was enough space for me but not much for my laptop. Only 89 of the 189 seats were filled,and most people had an empty seat in the middle of their row. The cabin was scruffy, with sweet wrappers in seat pockets and plastic coffee tops on the floor. The average age of Ryanair's 737-800s flying into Eastern Europe is 2.6 years, according to Sherrard.

The flight We departed 20 minutes late, with no explanation given for the delay.But the cabin crew were cheery. Ryanair Magazine, which has information of events at some of its destinations (but not Szczecin), was passed to those who requested it. A refreshment trolley zipped along but many people appeared to have brought their own food. There was no pizza, butI was served a heated cheese and ham sandwich and a not-so-good cappuccino for £5.75. A stewardess offered scratch cards with the chance to win an Audi TT. After the flurry of activity, the crew soon camped in the galley.

Arrival We arrived 15 minutes early, despite the departure delay. Even though the route is advertised as taking two hours, the captain said before take-off that the journey was expected to last an hour and a half. One of the cabin crew said that the speedy journey was due to a tail wind.

Verdict Efficiently run, friendly, cheap, but definitely a tight-fit for laptop users, Ryanair has opened up a part of Poland that was previously difficult to reach. There are no other direct flights to Szczecin. LOT Polish Airlines had a lengthy journey with a stop in Warsaw for about £170 on the dates I flew.

Prices Returns start at 1p each way if you book two weeks in advance. With taxes, this comes to £24.63. A weekend return booked four days ahead typically costs £74; a midweek return booked two days ahead usually costs £94. Visit ryanair.com.

Tom Chesshyre