why i'm still afraid of ryanair (london - final)

my last day in london was very relaxed (well, up until i got to the airport). i woke up and hung out with elaine's friend while elaine slept. we watched bridget jones's diary which is always refreshing to watch. after we woke elaine at 1pm, the three of us joined elaine's sister and soon-to-be brother-in-law and went for lunch. we found a pub a few minutes away from elaine's and had typical english fare. i thought we left there at 4:15 and that it took us a little more than 5 min to get back to elaine's. i gathered my things and elaine and i left for the tube station. the goal was to get to the tube station at 4:30, but when i looked at my watch it said 4:50. i wasn't entirely worried - i figured i must have switched the time incorrectly or something. i definitely did not think that was the real time.

i got to liverpool station in less than a half hour. i jumped on the first train to stanstead airport to discover that i had just missed one and this one was running late. oh, and it was not a 30 min ride, but a 45 min one. oh, and my ipod clock was correct - my flight was leaving in about an hour. all of these little losses of time added up to one final fact: i got to the airport, to the ryanair counter, at exactly 30 min before the flight was meant to leave. an english girl was there with me. we spoke with the woman, who did not seem to be rushed, and explained that we each had carryon luggage and would like to check in. at the time, the board which displays where to check-in still said that the flight was open for check-in. she radios on her walkie-talkie (is that what they're called when anyone other than 7-year olds are using them?) to the gate agent explaining our situation. he calls back, "ummm, nooo... the flight is on time. i don't think they'll make it through security on time." that's it. he didn't even sound convinced. kind of like he didn't care. so the two of us are standing there looking at this woman and she looks back at us. after about 15 seconds she says, "well, you heard him. the flight is closed." ????

since this is ryanair, if you miss your flight, you are forced to buy a ticket for the next flight rather than being put on the next flight. i have a feeling that the guy on the other end of the walkie-talkie was just looking out for his job and figured it was an easy way for ryanair to make 100 pounds (50 pounds for each of our tickets). so i go to the ryanair ticket counter (separate from the check-in counter) and say, "apparently i have missed my flight." the guy responds, "well, why are you not sure?" and i said, "well, i think i can still get through security in time, but they won't let me check in." no response. he then explains that the ticket is 50 pounds for a monday morning 6am flight. he suggested i go to air berlin to see if they have a flight flying out that night (sunday). since i had friends in berlin waiting to see me, i wanted to get back as soon as possible. the flight at air berlin for that night was 230 pounds. !! i ask the woman at air berlin if there were hotels at the airport and where could i get information on them. she points me in the direction of the hotel information desk.

my thinking was that, if i had to take a 6am flight, i would have to leave london around 3am, at the LATEST, to get to the airport on time (and i certainly did not want to miss the flight again) and it cost 30 pounds just to get back in to london. staying at the airport would be the easiest and cheapest option, in a day full of tiring, expensive choices.

i approach the desk called "hotel information" and ask about hotels, particularly the hilton (where i have pas mal amount of points). he explains to me that [despite being the HOTEL information desk], he only has information on the holiday inn and the sheraton. he points me in the direction of airport information for hilton information. she gives me a piece of paper with numbers for the three hotels. i then call the hilton - keep in mind, using my german mobile phone calling a london number - tres cher! i secure a room at the hilton (about 97 pounds), even though the woman on the phone could not tell me how to actually get to the hilton at the airport (it wasn't within walking distance) and go back to the ryanair counter.

i walk up to a woman at ryanair and say "i'd like a ticket for berlin tomorrow morning." she stares at me, gape-mouthed, "they're cheaper if you book online." right. "ok, but i don't have access to the internet." (what did she think - i drove all the way out to the airport to book a ticket???) "i was told that its 50 pounds." "oh, so you missed your flight?" "yes." she gives me a ticket and many grimacing faces while she realizes i dont, just to annoy her, have my confirmation number on me. finally: ticket sorted out. she kind of points me in the direction of the hotel transportation. i have to ask 3 people along the way where i can catch the shuttle for the hilton hotel. once again, i have just missed the last one and have to wait 30 min.

the rest of the night was uneventful except that i got to watch american tv in the hotel. yippee! i got room service and woke up at 4am to catch my flight.

a few hours later, i was back in berlin.

2-3 days after i got back to berlin, i receive an email from ryanair:

You are shortly booked to travel with Ryanair (your flight information is detailed below).

Ryanair Flight Details
Confirmation No: K213ML
FR 8547 SXF STN

again: 2-3 days AFTER i got back to berlin. either their systems are incompetant or they are victims of hackers. either way, i am finding a really good paying job so that i never have to fly them again.