Lately there are more and more people using smart phones these days and various companies found several new ways how to approach to their customers and sell products even in more comfortable and customer friendly way, right through smartphones. New technologies are bringing more opportunities either for sellers or customers and one of them are mobile apps for Android and Apple smart phones, where the companies see huge potential in this modern age. The most favourite European airline – Ryanair took the chance and recently has launched their first mobile app to sell flights or do online check-in right from your smartphone device in the comfort of your couch. I’ve tried this app before my flight from Dublin to Bratislava and you can my review in the article below.
New Ryanair app has been already downloaded over 1 million times from Google play app store by people around the whole Europe. This app is good for planning your trip, managing booking, online check-in, flight info, hotels and car rentals. Pretty much, though. If you have your own Ryanair account, it makes it even more simple to use this app, since all personal details will be added automatically.
I was reviewing Ryanair app version 2.3 on my Asus MemoPad HD7 tablet, model nr. ME173X running on Android 4.2.2 with 2GB RAM memory.
1. DESIGN & RESOLUTION
Ryanair app is designed in the company’s colors – yellow and blue. The design itself is very nice and I really appreciate the simplicity of menu – everything important is to be found quickly and easily. The icon shows the logo of the company and I liked it, since it doesn’t look ugly on your app list or in the menu list. I recently uninstalled few apps, since they had ugly icon. Fortunately, Ryanair app isn’t one of them and the icon is smooth and in good resolution even on my big tablet’s screen. Low fares made simple – that’s Ryanair’s new motto and they took it seriously.
2. FLIGHT BOOKING
If you wish to book your flight with Ryanair mobile app, you’ll need a bit more of patience. Even my tablet, which runs on 2 GB memory had problems with the speed while searching for fares. The searching of flights and comparing prices was quite uncomfortable, since I had to wait longer for the loading of fares. The app shows you the fares of each flight on selected route in a week row, as we’re used to from their website, where you can just click and choose desired flight to book. The response for click in app takes way too long in my opinion and it’s more comfortable to book Ryanair flights via official website.
3. THE PAYMENT
After you’ve chosen your flights and fares, you’ll be required to fill out all personal details and credit card information to pay for selected flights. All issues form previous steps are past now, since in this step the app runs smoothly and it’s quickly responding. Although, some people say, that they’re being redirected from this step to the official Ryanair website, where they can finish purchase. It has never happened to me, but if it’s true, I find it as a serious bug that has to be fixed immediately. What’s the point of booking flights via mobile app, when you’re redirected to website afterwards?
4. ONLINE CHECKIN
According to new Ryanair policy, you can check-in 30 days before the flight departure if you pay for seat or 7 days ahead, if you want to have seats to be allocated automatically. I was checking-in 7 days prior to the departure and didn’t notice any trouble with the app. It’s quite comparable to check-in online, they just want your travel document details and few other personal information. After that, your boarding pass will be issued and is stored in app under Boarding pass menu, from where can be retrieved offline when needed.
5. BOARDING PASS
Mobile boarding pass looks really nice and makes you feel like you’re flying with non low cost airline. There’s your reference number displayed, sequence number and your seat number. Time of the gate closure and the time of departure are displayed on Ryanair mobile boarding pass, as well. The most important is the code, that is to be scanned at the boarding gate prior the boarding of the aircraft. I hope, there will be more and more airports, where the passengers can use mobile boarding pass instead of paper one, since doing online check-in 7 days prior to the departure is sometime too late for some travellers, who don’t have access to the computer and printer (Just to remind, Ryanair still charges their customers, if they forget to check-in online or print off the boarding pass).
By launching the mobile smartphone app, Ryanair got closer to their customers and gave them new way how to book flights and make it even more comfortable by launching mobile boarding passes. Sadly, there are only few airports, where you can use these mobile boarding passes instead of classical paper ones. I think, this app barely brings more customers to Ryanair, but it’ll definitely make flying with Ryanair more simple and friendy. Doing the online check-in with this app is quick, clean and fast and it saved me a lot of time, since I didn’t have to use computer. On the other hand, I still prefer to search for Ryanair flights and fares using the computer, since this app is too slow in some points and responses too late.
WHAT I LIKED ABOUT NEW RYANAIR APP
- it responses quickly mostly
- nice, smooth design & icon
- easy to use
- Online check-in
- Offline storage of your mobile boarding pass
- You can login to your Ryanair account
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE ABOUT NEW RYANAIR APP
- slow when searching for fares
- being redirected to website after clicking on car rentals and hotels booking
- not possible to create Ryanair account
There are minor bugs, like the speed or stability, but I believe, that Ryanair will fix them all and develop one great app in the end to help passengers make their journey with Ryanair more simple. I just remembered a quote – life isn’t complicated, only people complicate it. And that’s what is the new Ryanair motto following – low fares, made simple.
Do you have any experience with using this app? Please, share them in the comments below the article.
Milan Bardun, because it’s better to travel, than to arrive.
While feeling ever so smug at Stansted a couple of weeks ago waltzing through passport control waving my phone to get me and 5 family members through, the same can’t be said for what I have experienced just now in Valencia trying to get home.
I checked in 5 days before departure and got my boarding passes on screen with the iPhone app. I then checked religiously everyday to see everything was working.
It was only literally on the bus to the airport I checked again and to my horror it was asking me to login. That didn’t work. Then after numerous attempts it asked me to update the app. That didn’t work either so I had to uninstall and reinstall. Still no joy.
I was then faced with the reality I was going to have to get help and explain I needed boarding passes printed without being charged as the app had failed.
The problem was solved by Ryanair by paying 75 euros to get our boarding passes.
It was an extremely stressful experience considering I’d tried to be organised and pioneer of new tech! Next time I will print it all. FAIL #RYANAIR
Wow, Ilse!
I’m really sorry to hear that and hopefully other readers will read this comment and bring paper bordingpasses too. Recently I flew with Ryanair from Madrid to Bratislava and I saw people using mobile boardingpasses without any issues. Some had their boardingpasses outside of an app, just like the PDF and it worked too! But you are right, this app is still very unstable.
Having used the app. I am of the opinion that Ryanair have invented YET ANOTHER way to scam and rip its customers off.
Step forward… THE RYANAIR APP.
I booked some flights on the app and the flights were priced in Euros. When you book the flight, the app gives you the option to reject the Ryanair company rate and chose the ‚official‘ Euro rate.
However, when you select the „reject Ryanair’s rate“ option, it still books the flight at Ryanair’s far inferior rate which adds an approx. 8% surcharge on the price. (EG on my flight which should have cost £450, I was actually charged nearly £40 more due to this scam)
SO BE WARNED, Before you chose to book a flight with this app, be aware it WILL NOT give you the actual exchange rate but instead always defaults to the „Rip Off“ direct currency conversion with Ryanair
RYR finally released app which other LCC has months or years..but nevermind, it’s great =)..now other LCC could learn from RYR in baggage restrictions and our flying will be once again more pleasant =)
Thx for review,
Michael
http://www.ontheleaf.net
Especially WizzAir..I’m going nuts from their large/small cabin bag! -_-