I survived Ryanair!

I had been warned by everyone I knew that I should avoid Ryanair, at all costs! I wanted to experience the 'service' for myself. I was booked to fly from Berlin to Stockholm. First encounter with a Ryanair staff member was at the 'Bag Drop' counter. I asked if they had tags to place on your luggage to write your name and contact details; after literally 60 seconds of conversation I was told that Ryanair don't give those out (it was like drawing blood from a stone). I then dropped off my 20.0kg bag – exactly the maximum allowed :) After passing through airport security I looked at the screen to see which gate I was departing from – they don't display that until boarding commences:(  Finally, when boarding began the procedure was very similar to Southwest Airlines in the US; open seating with "first in, best dressed" priority. Overall the experience was actually a positive one. Once on board it was no different to flying Jet Star in Australia; they try to sell you beverages, food and other products. They were a little more commercial in that there were advertisements placed on the overhead compartments (pictured above) and they also not only advertised in their in-flight magazine, but also over the loud speaker (for example discounted rental cars). I would fly Ryanair again – if it was the cheapest.