How does Ryanair Business Plus compare to standard BA travel?

No-frills airline Ryanair is to introduce a “business class”.

The low-cost carrier has unveiled a new product called Business Plus which will give executives a range of benefits.

These include flexibility on ticket changes, 20kg of checked-in bag allowance, fast-track airport security at selected airports, priority boarding and premium seats.

Ryanair is targeting the 25% of its customers who are business travellers with the new product (Rui Vieira/PA)

So, how does it compare to standard travel with British Airways?

We took the example of a single passenger flying from Dublin to London on September 10 and returning the next day.

With Ryanair Business Plus, for an advertised price of 69.99 euro (about £56) we got a seat in either row 1 to 5 (rapid exit) or 16 to 17 (extra leg room) and were given a 20kg allowance on check-in bags .

A similar flight with BA – in economy – guaranteed us a larger luggage allowance (23kg) but it would set us back 113 euro (about £90). We did get offered complimentary on board food and bar service and a contoured leather seat, though.

Also, the two carriers don’t fly the same exact route – with Ryanair flying to Gatwick and BA flying to Heathrow.

Our verdict

On price alone, Ryanair’s model stacks up but there’s a lot of stars on the deal suggesting you can only get a premium seat if one’s available and the fast track airport security is only available at eight airports.

It also looks better than using Ryanair’s cheaper option (advertised as 22.99 euro), if you’ve got

luggage.

(Steve Parsons/PA)

But just to give us all a glimmer of another life, BA’s business class flight on the same day cost 360 euro (about £286), but with that we got the red carpet treatment – access to the lounge, a dedicated check in area and complimentary bar service, with champagne on request.

Our contoured leather seat was guaranteed to be in a window or aisle position too- no cramming in the middle seat here.

But, costing less than economy over at BA, Ryanair might have something with its “slightly better” offering.