A Ryanair plane takes off from London's Luton Airport.
Aircraft Ryanair Boeing 737-800.
Route Paris to Rome.
Class No classes. But you can buy "priority boarding" for €4 ($5.40) that gives you about 30 seconds' jump on other commuters in the rush for seats.
Seat pitch and width Thirty inches between rows of seats and 17 inches between armrests.
Seat configuration 3-3.
Luggage allowance The airline charges for all check-in luggage; one bag of 15 kilograms is €20, one bag of 20 kilograms is €30. If your carry-on bag exceeds 10 kilograms (with maximum dimensions of 55cm x 40cm x 20cm), there is an extra charge of €35.
Scheduled flight time Two hours.
On-time performance Fifteen minutes ahead of schedule. Just as the plane's wheels hit the runway in Rome, a bugle call rings out of tinny speakers to announce yet another "on time" flight on Ryanair.
Aircraft condition Near new, very clean.
The experience Welcome to Ryanair, the Dublin-based "low-cost" airline that flies about 70 million people around Europe each year. The airline bills itself as Europe's most popular airline, but it is also among its most hated. Ryanair says few passengers complain officially but the complaints department can be hard to reach. A constant criticism is that it takes longer to get to the remote airports Ryanair uses than its flights take. For instance, the trip from central Paris to the Paris Beauvais airport — via the Metro and a bus — takes three hours, while the flight to Rome is two hours. Beware of surcharges. The cheap base fare of €40 on this leg can more than double with taxes of €24.88, web check-in of €6 (if you don't print your own boarding pass, there is an additional charge of €40), voluntary "priority boarding" costs €4, an administration fee of €6 and an EU 261 levy of €2. Add the bus and Metro fares and the cost blows out to more than €100.
Entertainment None.
Comfort The blue and yellow leatherette seats are comfortable and the ride is smooth.
Service Efficient.
Food and beverage Available from a limited fast food-style menu, for additional payments. For instance, a hot dish of pasta costs €7 and a baguette €5.
Flight frequency Daily.
Online ryanair.com.
Tested by Seamus Bradley.
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