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We booked a flight to Dublin with Ryan Air for the Metallica concert in August, it was ideal as the flight arrived at 7.30 on the morning of the concert. Today we got an E-Mail from Ryan Air explaining that our flight had been moved to 6.30PM on the evening of the concert, so a phone called ensued.

We have managed to book another flight on the Friday evening, than means another night in the hotel (77 euros) and an extra £5 charge courtesy of Ryan Air, they flatly refused to give any kind of discount for the inconvenience saying that we should have read the T & C's before hand. I will also lose an afternoons wages.

These companies lead you to believe that you are getting a good deal, but after messing around changing flights about and extra charges that does not ring true.

This is the first time we have booked a flight with this company and it will be the last time, I just hope that they don't mess us around anymore before August.

Over the years we have learnt that there is a knack to dealing with Ryanair ! They are cheap enough when all goes according to plan but you need to be aware of what you have to pay for and what isn't really necessary?
            The first sign of a change of flight time GET YOUR MONEY BACK and go with another carrier. That's what we did for the recent trip to Poland.

I wouldn't go with Ryanair if they were giving flights away.............. the charges on top always make them as expensive as any other airline.

Just to play devils advocate and being a regular traveller, it all boils down to what we as a consumer want. If we want to fly for the price of a Friday night takeaway for two, you have to accept that it will be no frills, with an element of risk and possible inconvenience involved. The budget airlines are just that, budget and you need to maximise what they can do for you. Pack light, don't pay with a credit card and understand fully the terms & conditions before you book. My flight to Hong Kong last year was rescheduled 3 times before I flew and that was with Air New Zealand. Unfortunately booking far in advance these days is a risky business, especially if you are on a tight schedule.

It is frustrating, but I have had flights changed many times with the world's top carriers, as well as the budget ones. I always expect to be delayed when I fly with Ryanair too, so when it's on time I am pleased! They can be annoying, but I for one would not want to go back to a monopoly of the major carriers and paying 10 times what I pay now, to fly around Europe.

To fly from the UK to places like Dublin and Poland for around £30~40 is I think astonishingly good value and we wouldn't have that without people like O'Leary and Stelios - a train to London for me is around double that  :-\