If you’re not very familiar with Ryanair, it is a budget airline that flies between 40 European countries and recently added routes to Israel, Jordan and Turkey as well. It is famous for its low prices, and sometimes its low quality as well, but I have to admit that I have never had a bad experience with the airline. And as their social media accounts are quick to point out, no matter how much people complain about flights being delayed or lacking windows, we will all continue to use Ryanair whenever we can. Inflation has gotten out of control this year, so if you can spend $15 on a flight that a larger airline would charge $50 for, why wouldn’t you take advantage of it?
But more recently, Ryanair has made it clear that they are not only masters of the cheap flight game. They are also experts in running successful social media accounts. As of January 2022, Ryanair is active on 9 social media sites, which can do wonders for business. On TikTok, for example, Ryanair currently has 1.8 million followers. That’s an astounding number for a company to have, but they’ve tapped into the TikTok market exceptionally well. The page's bio even states, “catch flights, not feelings”, so it’s clear that the account is intended to be for fun, with a smaller focus on advertising and promotion.
To hear from a travel expert what she thinks about Ryanair, we reached out to Mo from the travel and lifestyle blog Hello Graciemo. First, we asked Mo what her experiences with Ryanair have been like. "Nothing but positive so far," she told Bored Panda. "We have had no issues flying with this budget airline company, and we hope to continue to have positive experiences in future travels. So far, the positives would have to be that flights are cheap, and we’ve been very lucky to have been able to travel as a family of four for reasonable rates," Mo explained. "As far as negative viewpoints, you get what you pay for. It’s not first-class or fancy, but it’s been a decent airline to fly with."
Many customers have a love-hate relationship with the company. So we asked Mo if she thinks this reputation is justified. "Though our experience has been somewhat decent with Ryanair, I have heard and read several mixed reviews as well. Mostly, it all depends on what airport you fly out of or the staff at your flight time," Mo told Bored Panda. "I thoroughly believe customer service is important, and so far, customer service for the flights we’ve had have been great!" And when it comes to their social media presence, Mo says, "Their social media account should not be taken seriously; I find their posts hilariously true. But don't let that deter you from traveling with Ryanair; just enjoy the cheap flights and quick getaway."
So would Mo recommend that others use Ryanair? "If you are looking to save money on travel and don’t mind traveling with an airline that has a mixed reputation, then yes, I would recommend utilizing Ryanair," she says. "Just always be aware of the fine print and expect that you may have either a positive or negative experience. Be prepared for hiccups, but don’t be surprised if your experience is less than stellar. But, in the long run, we have not had any issues with this airline carrier."
"For the flights we’ve had with Ryanair, be prepared to understand that free snacks are not included," Mo added. "One thing I found rather odd that I haven’t seen with other airlines in the States is that they will sell perfumes during the flight, which I found hilarious. Drinks are also not free during the flights and are offered for a fee. Other than that, enjoy the cheap flights, and hope you have a wonderful experience with Ryanair. Also, it’s perfect for a quick getaway."
If you'd like to hear more about Mo and her family's travels, be sure to check out Hello Graciemo right here.
We also reached out to travel blogger and photographer Alex Waltner, aka The Swedish Nomad to hear his opinion on the infamous airline. "I have flown with Ryanair many times and definitely have some kind of love/hate relationship with this airline," he told Bored Panda. "My experiences with Ryanair are mostly positive, except that it must be one of the most uncomfortable airlines I have flown with. But it doesn't really matter because their tickets are so cheap, and the flight time is usually not that long."
"I always read terms and conditions, so there have been few surprises when it comes to Ryanair," Alex explained. "But, of course, a few times I have missed some small details or booked a ticket too quickly just to realize that I need to add something when I get to the airport for a horrendous extra fee. It's almost like a video game when booking with Ryanair, there are so many obstacles to go through in their booking section in order to not have to pay any extra fees." I can say from personal experience, that is a perfect analogy to explain the process.
"But to be fair, Ryanair is one of the airlines that are almost always on time," Alex added. "Very rarely have I been late with them, and they rarely cancel flights. So all in all, my experience is positive when it comes to getting from point A to B, or perhaps I should say from Point A to C with Ryanair since most of their arriving airports are smaller and located further away from the destination."
When asked if Ryanair deserves their reputation, Alex told Bored Panda, " I would say from a traveler's perspective, their bad reputation is somewhat undeserved. It is not that bad, as long as you play the booking game on your own terms and are aware of the steps where you have to say no to add-ons on your ticket to avoid higher fees. And as long as you respect their baggage size and weight restrictions."
"Sure, the seats are not very comfortable," he noted. "But at least you get to your destination without spending a lot of money." When it comes to their online presence, Alex said, "I don't really follow Ryanair on social media, but from time to time I will see their 'best' tweets and posts. I think they're quite funny and it's definitely the right way to go about it, in my opinion. It's a cheap airline, and they are not shy to show it. If travelers want something extra on their flight, they need to pay or choose a regular airline."
And finally, when asked whether or not he would recommend the airline, Alex says, "I would definitely recommend going with Ryanair if you don't care so much about comfort. If price is important and getting there on time, Ryanair is usually a good choice."
"But do your due diligence and read everything before you click next," he warns. "And even better, read everything twice, just to make sure that you don't miss something. Then you'll most likely have a good time with Ryanair. I think Ryanair is one of the best budget airlines because they are not trying to be anything else. It's like taking the regular bus to wherever you're going. It's not comfortable, but it's not that bad either."
So there you have it folks, Ryanair is exactly what they're claiming they are: cheap and no frills. But not bad. If you'd like to keep up with Alex's travels, be sure to check out his blog The Swedish Nomad right here.
While it may sound surprising for an airline to have such a popular presence on social media, it makes perfect sense with Ryanair’s brand. It’s a budget airline, so it’s very popular among young travelers who can’t afford to fly with more expensive carriers. And these young audiences aren’t watching ads on TV or checking their emails for promotions. They’re spending hours a day on social media. And after laughing along with a few TikToks or tweets they’ve seen from Ryanair, they’re going to be likely to check there first when booking a holiday to Spain or Greece next summer. Even Ryanair’s Instagram account has amassed over 865k followers for sharing memes and funny reels.
But all of this popularity did not happen overnight. Unlike individual users on TikTok or Twitter, it’s not often that a brand goes viral by accident. So when it comes to the success of Ryanair’s social media accounts, the brand’s Head of Social, Michael Corcoran sat down with ContentCal to explain how it happened. The main two factors Michael credits are “showing up early and experimenting with a new audience” and “losing the corporate tone of voice they may have previously been known for”.
Michael also shared some of his top TikTok tips that helped Ryanair secure their place as one of the most successful brands on social media. First, he recommends that companies approach the account as a creator rather than a brand. Viewers don’t want to see ads, and they don’t want to feel like there’s a robot on the other end creating posts. Michael also says that companies have to consider all engagement factors, not just views. Read and listen to the comments, and be sure to reply to some. The more actively you engage with viewers, the more they’ll want to engage with you.
Next, Michael says that each account should be unique. There’s no reason to follow Ryanair on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok if it’s the same content everywhere. Each platform is different and should be treated as such. He also notes that numbers are not the most important factor. This can be great PR or a stepping stone to other long-term goals, even if you don’t go insanely viral. Finally, he says that TikTok is a “creator-first platform”, so audiences are more inclined to follow creators that “influencers” trying to sell them something.
One thing Ryanair has certainly succeeded with is their tone of voice on social media. They have decided to be sassy, snarky and straight to the point, which many followers find hilarious. But it also matches perfectly with their business model. If you want to fly with a fancier airline where you’re given free food in-flight, a free checked bag and amenities like a TV screen on the back of each seat and in-flight movies, you might expect a more gentle and accommodating tone online. But Ryanair is cheap and simple. No window? Don’t complain. You paid $13 to fly halfway across Europe. I think you can manage staring at the inside of an airplane for two and a half hours. Plus, Ryanair knows their customers will always keep coming back. So it’s perfectly appropriate, and very entertaining, for them to use that tone on social media.
Despite how popular Ryanair is on social media, there are many people out there who are not fans of the airline. In fact, it has been ranked the worst short-haul airline by Which? for 6 years in a row, and more recently, it has been deemed the worst short-haul airline for pandemic flights and refunds. Over the last two years, Ryanair has received an embarrassing 55% for its overall customer score, and only 47% of customers were satisfied with the options Ryanair presented them in response to flights they were unable to take due to the pandemic. In reference to their experience trying to resolve a customer service issue with Ryanair, one customer stated, “Ryanair is the most awkward airline to deal with that I have ever come across. It seems to be proud of being difficult.” Ouch.
