RyanAir - New charges...

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Owens88
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Post by Owens88 »

OK

I have seen rows of seats desecrated by kids, and felt ashamed on their behalf. So I m not saying all famililies are saints.

BUT

* the luggage allowance cannot be combined. So a 2/4 year old has the same luggage allowance as their parent, fair enough, but it has to be in a cass allocated to that 2/4 year old.
Think on. That doesn't make sense. they cannot pull that weight.
There is no cost disincentive to allow two cases to weigh 2* max between Parent and Child as long as each bag does not exceed 25k.
Easyjet are on record as saying they will take a practical decision at the time. Ryianair will not.

* the, inflated, credit card charge is per person not per booking, yet the credit card agencies treat it as a per booking. ?
John
www.Goodviews.co.uk

Vernet Les Bains and East Midlands
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Santiago
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Post by Santiago »

Incidently if "Electron" is so good why is it not accepted in most mainland Europe shops, Petrol stations and French Motorways.
Not sure that is true.

I have a Visa Electron card from Banque Pop. It's the only French card I have. The only place you can't use them is on the payage because of the time it takes to contact the bank to authorise the transaction.

I've used it in the UK, Spain, Germany, Czech Republic, and even Bulgaria. It's more accepted than Amex.

In fact Esso Express only take French cards, including Electron, and won't accept any UK issued card. And Esso Express is the cheapest place to buy fuel.
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PaddyFrog
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Post by PaddyFrog »

Santiago wrote:
Incidently if "Electron" is so good why is it not accepted in most mainland Europe shops, Petrol stations and French Motorways.
Not sure that is true.

I have a Visa Electron card from Banque Pop. It's the only French card I have. The only place you can't use them is on the payage because of the time .
Jonathan the quote from a website would appear to disagree with you!

In 2005 Crédit Agricole launched a PIN operated 'Maestro' immediate debit card (part of Mastercard Group) with an annual fee of €14.90.

The card is called L’Autre Carte.

Credit Mutuel offer it for €18.75, but their branch network is smaller.

L’Autre Carte card does not offer the same level of insurance protection offered by Visa/Mastercard, there is a charge for withdrawing money from ATMs other than CA, it cannot always be used in petrol stations and can never be used for motorway tolls.

France basically does not have credit cards, all the CB are debit cards with immediate or monthly debit, which is basically what Maestro offers.

The problem with Maestro is that they still have the stigma of being issued to people with poor credit rating, this is changing a bit within the UK, they have never been pushed because of the limited profit unlike Credit Cards.

Being resident here I want a card that is acceptable everywhere, and with the assurance and repatriation to France.

Non French Visa cards have limited assurance and the Insurance is issuing country based.

If you are using a GB card all the assurances are UK based apart from fraud, but now UK Banks are even refusing to reimburse clients over fraud and loss.

Mon€o was tried here in France as a simple way for kids and others and is now being re launched, its aim is for a purse type card for small purchases of bread, groceries etc, directly debited from your bank account.

The added problem for the retailer with Maestro is if you do not have money in your account it cannot be used, thats why so many Petrol Stations/ Restaurants/ shops will not accept it.

If they buy petrol, eat food etc you have to take the person to court to reclaim your loss!!

Extra cost.
Michael
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Santiago
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Post by Santiago »

I was talking about an Electron Visa debit card and I swear it works everywhere I said it does.

I have been offered a visa credit card from the bank which sounds like a UK credit card but has a charge I don't want to pay.
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john
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Post by john »

PF,Credit Cards and Charge cards (eg AmEx) DO exist in France,and are quite widely used,but as Jon points out,as with so many things in France,the charges/fees etc levied for them are absolutely outrageous.
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PaddyFrog
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Post by PaddyFrog »

I agree you can get Amex, and various credit cards but they are in the minority here, unlike the UK, maybe London like Paris have a higher usage.

Electron use in mainland Europe is about 5 -8%, Portuguese get megga probs using outside Portugal.

Other people may have probs on the Net.

Electron unlike normal Visa is not readily available out side the main cities of the country.

Its a bit like the original Euro Cheques available from UK banks 15 years ago, great until you go to use them.

The UK wanted them written in English, where as Germany, France, Italy and Spain wanted them written in the language of the country of use.

They fell by the wayside.
Michael
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Roger O
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Post by Roger O »

I always thought (how silly of me!) that an electron was a negative charged tiny thingy in an atom!
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blackduff
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Post by blackduff »

PaddyFrog wrote:I agree you can get Amex, and various credit cards but they are in the minority here, unlike the UK, maybe London like Paris have a higher usage.

Electron use in mainland Europe is about 5 -8%, Portuguese get megga probs using outside Portugal.

Other people may have probs on the Net.

Electron unlike normal Visa is not readily available out side the main cities of the country.

Its a bit like the original Euro Cheques available from UK banks 15 years ago, great until you go to use them.

The UK wanted them written in English, where as Germany, France, Italy and Spain wanted them written in the language of the country of use
.

They fell by the wayside.
I had an Euro Cheques account from a Swiss bank and it was great. I used these checks in France, Sweden, Germany, and Holland also. The euro killed this system, I think.

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Roger O
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Post by Roger O »

I've still got some old eurocheques from UBS - keep them as souvenir!
The Swiss accept CHF and Euros interchangeably in shops.
If you give Euro cash you get CHF change back - but not at 1.48 to the Euro!!
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Santiago
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Post by Santiago »

PF I don't think we're talking about the same thing. I have a Visa Electron card issued by Banque Populaire. It's a debit card on my French account and is the only card I use in France. It's accepted absolutely everywhere except the Payage tolls.

I also use it when I'm abroad and have never had any problems in any other European country. I use it in shops, ATMs, petrol stations and restaurants.

I use it to book flights on Ryanair, Easyjet and all the other low costs and I never get charged a credit card booking fee. It also works via paypal and every other internet site I've tried to buy from.
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john
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Post by john »

What hoops do you have to jump through to get one of these Electron cards,Santiago? We don't bank with Banque Populaire,but I guess they are all roughly the same.
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Roger O
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Post by Roger O »

john wrote:What hoops do you have to jump through to get one of these Electron cards,Santiago?
Split an atom - and may the Force be with you!
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Post by Kathy »

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john
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Post by john »

I cannot for the life of me think why anyone would want to buy stuff at an airport used by Ryanair. They are nearly all in the EU,so the shops are not "duty free",and my experience is that you are FAR better off buying the goods in a supermarket back home. For example bottle of Gordons is much cheaper in Tesco Bishops Stortford than it is in Stansted "duty free "shop.,and cigs are much more reasonable in the tabac in Jonquera than in Girona airport shop.
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PaddyFrog
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Post by PaddyFrog »

Whilst you are correct John within Europe, I bought a bottle of Lanson Black Label bubbly for 31€ Duty Free at Gerona on route to Marrakesh, I would not be able to buy at that price if I was flying within Europe.

Gerona like most international airports has two prices EU and non EU.

:lol: :lol:
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Kathy
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Post by Kathy »

John you are not corrrect about the price for Bacardi. It is nearly £18 in Asda, Gerona airport 2 bottles for €25. Asda occasionally have offers but it's never as cheap as that.
Yes it is cheaper in La Joquera but can only be brought back via car.
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Santiago
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Post by Santiago »

Getting an Electron card was fairly easy. It was offered to me when we first opened a bank account here. Just ask at your branch.
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Post by Nigel »

Many Banks do not seem still to have Electron cards.....they seem to say that they were really for young people students and those on limited means....however if you have a Halifax account they can provide them altho they do try to persuade you to have another sort....but if you explain the Ryanair reason they seem to understand and will issue an Electron card
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john
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Post by john »

Kathy wrote:John you are not corrrect about the price for Bacardi. It is nearly £18 in Asda, Gerona airport 2 bottles for €25. Asda occasionally have offers but it's never as cheap as that.
Yes it is cheaper in La Joquera but can only be brought back via car.
Kathy I fear you misunderstand my point. All I'm saying is that the airport shops are no cheaper than other shops LOCALLY . In fact often dearer. As far as Bacardi is concerned,I know because coincidentally I looked fairly recently. Stansted shop was 2 quid dearer than Tesco's Norwich.
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Kathy
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Post by Kathy »

I don't shop at Tesco's so can only compare Asda, Sainsbury's and Morrisons. I don't even look at the prices in UK airports, as they are silly prices. Are you saying then John that a Bacardi 1 litre bottle is less than €12.50 in Tesco, if so we shall be finding one? Otherwise we will buy in Gerona next week if the offer is still available.
Just for information the Bacardi in La Jonquera is not brewed in the Bahamas it is from Puerto Rico, it has a slighltly different taste than the original. The connoisseurs tell me it is not as good.
I don't drink the stuff, hubby does.
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John & Elaine
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Beware the Gatwick Hiton

Post by John & Elaine »

Wine Warning: We met some friends at the Gatwick Hilton on our way to our stepson's wedding in Barbados recently and met them in the lobby bar. Four glasses of very ordinary house plonk came to £38.00. Daylight robbery!!
John & Elaine
PS Barbados was lovely but it rained every day except the wedding day! Still we missed the PO storms and the freezer contents is fine. The lighting timer in the garage shows we only seemed to have been without power for about an hour. Collioure must be blessed!! All a bit off topic but it makes having a glass of wine on Ryanair look cheap. There back on topic!!
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john
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Post by john »

Kathy wrote:I don't shop at Tesco's so can only compare Asda, Sainsbury's and Morrisons. I don't even look at the prices in UK airports, as they are silly prices. Are you saying then John that a Bacardi 1 litre bottle is less than €12.50 in Tesco, if so we shall be finding one? Otherwise we will buy in Gerona next week if the offer is still available.
Just for information the Bacardi in La Jonquera is not brewed in the Bahamas it is from Puerto Rico, it has a slighltly different taste than the original. The connoisseurs tell me it is not as good.
I don't drink the stuff, hubby does.
No No No Kathy...that's NOT what I'm saying.

All I mean is that the prices at a UK airport shop are higher than a UK Supermarket.

The prices at a Spanish A'port shop are dearer than a Spanish Supermarket

The prices at a French Airport shop are dearer than a French Supermarket...and so on.

That's all.
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Kathy
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Post by Kathy »

Yes John I appear to have misunderstood you. I have obviously exasperated you also. :oops:
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polremy
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Post by polremy »

I think you both should sit down and have a nice little drinkie!
Serge

Post by Serge »

So just to recap,

Is a Spanish supermarket cheaper than a French supermarket and are they both cheaper than a British supermarket ...........................




...and are we all in the European common market?

:? :? :?
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polremy
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Post by polremy »

I think you'd better make that two!
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john
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Post by john »

Serge wrote:So just to recap,

Is a Spanish supermarket cheaper than a French supermarket and are they both cheaper than a British supermarket ...........................




...and are we all in the European common market?

:? :? :?
Couldn't agree more Serge. It seems crazy that so long after the inception of the "single market",thousands of French descend on Perthus/Jonquera,Brits go to Calais/Belgium,Danes visit Flensburg(Germany) for their Fags,booze,petrol.There are countless other examples.

But there it is. The one indisputable fact nontheless though is that in general the so called duty free shops work out dearer.
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Post by Nigel and Karen »

Is it a lot less in Perthus/Jonquera, I havent been for years?
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john
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Post by john »

Nigel and Karen wrote:Is it a lot less in Perthus/Jonquera, I havent been for years?
Depends what the "it" is to which you refer N+K ?! And "less" than where?!

In comparison with French shops many things (clothes,fancy goods,electricals )are no cheaper.

But,booze,fags.petrol/diesel are a LOT cheaper.
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Post by blackduff »

You can a lot of bargains if you drive down to Figueras and visit Carrefour. I buy Sanex liquid soap for about 2.30 € per 900 ml but this is about three times the price in the Argeles Carrefour but the bottle is about 500 ml. That's a fairly good deduction.

There are a lot of other "specials" there too, so know the prices you pay back in France and take the deals.

Blackduff
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