Ryanair’s ticketing policy - Small price to pay

The quaint notion of air travel as a romantic and relaxing prelude to a summer holiday disappeared around 50 years ago with the advent of mass transit and package holidays.

Since then years of ever-increasing passenger volume, increasingly intrusive security checks (thank you Leila Khaled, Baader-Meinhof, Richard Reid, Mohammad Atta and all of your ilk), grumpy border security, lost luggage, volcanic ash, striking air traffic controllers, delays and myriad other issues have made flying, particularly with young children, something more to be endured than enjoyed.

But whatever the problems and inconveniences, which are shared by all airlines, Ryanair’s policy of asking people to pay a small premium to guarantee the position of their seats, or to allow people who want to travel together the ability to do so, is not one of them.