Travel Hacking Ryanair Flights

I have been known to get some pretty good flight prices and I love travel hacking Ryanair flights. I flew myself and my sister from London to Riga in Latvia for just £72 (for both of us!) for her 21st birthday. I also got to Amsterdam for just £19.99. My best ever flight price I think was £5.99 from London to Florence, but that didn’t include the taxes!

My next trip is to Barcelona and I will be flying from Stansted, and staying at the Radisson Blu.

In all honesty. Ryanair is not my favorite airline in the world – when I have the money and travel long Haul, I like to travel with BA or Emirates.

But, if you are asking about flight hacking you probably want to fly as cheaply as possible to get the most for your money. For this reason, today’s blog will focus on Ryanair as one of the cheapest options from London. Travel Hacking Ryanair flights is easy once you know-how.

Tips for Travel Hacking Ryanair Flights

1. Fly on a Tuesday with Ryanair Flights – it’s usually cheaper

Flexibility on dates and times is essential to travel hacking Ryanair flights. Flying on a Thursday or Friday is usually cheaper than flying on a Tuesday or Wednesday. Be flexible with your dates and times to get the best deals.

Sometimes, inconvenient flight times are much cheaper, such as 5 am flights. However, remember that there may not be public transport at this time. So, if you don’t have a car, you may end up forking out more on an airport taxi or hotel, which could cost you more overall.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B2JjJkngLol/

2. Avoid the School Holidays

School holidays are Peak travel times and should be avoided. The main holidays are Christmas, Easter, and Summer. There are also half terms which fall in October, February and May (whitsun) so check the dates of these before you book, and avoid them.

You will also want to avoid Bank Holiday Mondays. Flights on the Friday before will be very expensive as lots of people go away for a long weekend during these times.

3. Try different destinations – be flexible about where you want to go.

Sometimes, changing a destination can make a big difference to the price, depending on the time of year. So, if you just want a holiday and are not fussed about a particular place, try comparing different destinations.

Just remember that not all Ryanair airports are conveniently located. When I traveled to Tallinn, the airport was very close and it was just a case of getting a shuttle bus to the city. But some airports, such as Oslo are not so close.

Check how you will travel to London airports. Many Ryanair flights go from Stansted, which is definitely not central London. So, you will need to make sure that the flight time fits in with the trains, or that you have a car, in which case you need to arrange parking. You can stay overnight at Stansted Airport at the Radisson Blu Stansted.
Sometimes, it can be better to book with a different airline to get a closer airport to your particular destination. So, make sure that you know exactly how to get to your final destination and how long it will take, before booking.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B3lt2MWnNth/

4. Take one item of Hand Luggage and don’t check anything in.

As a cheap airline, Ryanair charges extra money for checked-in baggage.  If you are serious about travel hacking Ryanair flights, pack everything in your hand luggage. However, if you do this, remember that you need to follow the hand luggage restrictions. That means no lighters or pressurized containers such as aerosols. It also means no liquids more than 100ml in your hand luggage. So pack toiletries in very small travel bottles or buy them when you get there!

Check-in Online to save time and save paperwork. You can even check into a Ryanair flight with your boarding pass on your smartphone! We forgot to print out our boarding cards last time and we just scanned the smartphone. There were loads of people doing the same!

5. Compare and Remember that Taxes are added on at the End.

The final stage of travel hacking Ryanair flights is cross-checking with other airlines. Cross-check your flight price against other online cheap airlines and booking sites. For example, you may want to compare with Easyjet or Jet2. If you collect Nectar points, they can be used to pay for flights with Easyjet, so this may encourage you to compare with them.

Also, cross-check against flight comparison sites including Skyscanner and Momondo.
Don’t just compare the initial price on the screen, follow the booking through until you are asked for your credit card details, and compare THAT price!

Do you enjoy Travel Hacking Ryanair Flights?

Do you have any tips to share on travel hacking Ryanair flights? Leave your comments below.