Everything you need to know about Ryanair Choice, the Irish airline's loyalty program
Ryanair is one of the most famous lowcost airlines in the world. It is based in Dublin and was founded in [...]
Ryanair
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Ryanair is a lowcost company among the most famous in the world. It is based in Dublin and was founded in 1985 by Tony Ryan, intent on entering the market for flights between London and Ireland, at the time the domain of British Airways and Aer Lingus.
The first route joined Waterford and London Gatwick, today the carrier connects more than 30 countries. It is the largest low-cost airline in Europe, operating more than 2,000 routes. It boasts a fleet of as many as 479 aircraft, leveraged to reach 250 destinations. London Stansted Airport is themain hub, here are the others:
- Austria: Vienna
- Belgium: Charleroi, Brussels
- Bulgaria: Sofia, Burgas (seasonal)
- Croatia: Zadar (seasonal), Zagreb
- Cyprus: Pafo
- Czech Republic: Prague
- France: Bordeaux, Marseille, Toulouse
- Germany: Berlin, Bremen, Cologne, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Karlsruhe, Nuremberg
- Greece: Athens, Chania, Thessalonica
- Hungary: Budapest
- Ireland: Cork, Dublin, Shannon
- Italy: Bari, Bologna, Brindisi, Cagliari, Catania, Lamezia Terme, Milan, Bergamo, Naples, Palermo, Pisa, Rome, Trapani, Trieste
- Lithuania: Kaunas, Vilnius
- Luxembourg: Luxembourg
- Malta: Valletta
- Morocco: Fez, Marrakesh
- Poland: Gdansk, Katowice, Krakow, Poznan, Warsaw, Wroclaw
- Portugal: Faro, Lisbon, Ponta Delgada, Porto
- Romania: Bucharest
- Slovakia: Bratislava
- Spain: Alicante, Barcelona, Ibiza (seasonal), Madrid, Malaga, Palma de Mallorca, Santiago de Compostela, Seville, Valencia
- Sweden: Gothenburg, Stockholm
- United Kingdom: Belfast, Birmingham, Bournemouth, Bristol, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester
Below is all the information about this world-renowned carrier, from its history to destinations to its loyalty program.
Ryanair, the story
As explained, Ryanair is a lowcost carrier that started in the 1980s. Tony Ryan's vision slowly expanded over time from the first Waterford-London route. A second route was added in 1986: with two aircraft at its disposal it carried 82,000 passengers in one year.
In the 2000s with the explosion of the lowcost phenomenon and the marked change in mindset on the part of travelers, the evolution of the Irish airline was evident. By 2017, destinations had surpassed 200, covering almost all European countries.
Here are the subsidiary companies by Ryanair:
- Buzz Air
- Ryanair UK
- Laudamotion
- Malta Air
Ryanair, the routes
Le routes covered are more than 2,000 and the countries of Europe reached 33, with Morocco, Israel, Jordan, Turkey, Tunisia, Russia and Georgia completing the list of destinations. Here's where you can head to with the Irish carrier:
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bosnia
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Ireland
- Israel
- Italy
- Jordan
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Montenegro
- Morocco
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Serbia
- Slovakia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Turkey
- Ukraine
- United Kingdom
Italian routes
The presence in Italy of Ryanair is massive. Our country represents one of the strengths of the Irish carrier's offerings. They are 27 cities involved in the company's routes, for a total of 16 regions:
- Sardinia: Alghero, Cagliari, Olbia
- Marches: Ancona
- Apulia: Bari, Brindisi
- Emilia-Romagna: Bologna, Parma, Rimini
- Sicily: Catania, Comiso, Palermo, Trapani
- Calabria: Crotone, Lamezia Terme
- Piedmont: Cuneo, Turin
- Liguria: Genoa
- Lombardy: Milan
- Campania: Naples
- Umbria: Perugia
- Abruzzo: Pescara
- Tuscany: Pisa
- Latium: Rome
- Friuli-Venezia Giulia: Trieste
- Veneto: Venice, Verona
Ryanair Choice
The Irish low-cost carrier's loyalty program is called Ryanair Choice and provides a variety of benefits for frequent flyers who choose the company. And it is to them that the package is aimed, which has an annual cost is of 199 €, a figure that is not exactly insignificant when considered from the perspective of a casual traveler.
In fact, the target audience for the proposal is those who usually board at least ten times a year, for pleasure or business. One summer vacation and one fall or winter vacation are not enough to justify the expense. The company itself explains precisely that it is possible to return the investment with the first 7-8 flights. Here are all the benefits included in the price:
- choice of place: loyal customers can always select their preferred seat when purchasing their ticket;
- reduced time: fast track access is allowed at the gates. Immediate boarding is also available;
- suitcase: One carry-on baggage weighing up to 10 kg can be taken on board.
Baggage
Ryanair allows all passengers to carry a small bag on board, 40x25x20 cm, to be stored under the seat. However, there is a facility for priority boarding passengers (this includes Ryanair Choice members). They can, in fact, add one piece of luggage weighing up to 10 kg, with these dimensions: 55x40x20 cm.
Two types of luggage can be registered: small and regular. The first one is 55x40x20 cm for 10 kg maximum, the second one is 81x119x119 cm for 20 kg maximum. Online purchase has a minimum charge of 25 euros, while at the airport it is 40 euros. For excess baggage, the fee is 10 euros per kg.
Conclusions
Ryanair is one of the airlines most exploited by Italian travelers. Great deals and a huge number of routes to connect anyone with almost any country in Europe.
Have you ever traveled with Ryanair? Let us know in the comments what you think of the Irish airline. And don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter, to stay up-to-date with news from the world of traveling!
- 6,000 Mile Registration Bonus
- Collect miles WITH EACH PURCHASE
- Your miles with no expiration*
- No fees for ATM withdrawals and foreign purchases
- Without having to change banks
- Autonomous card activation
- Multi-function mobile application
- Free travel insurance
- Free credit for up to 7 weeks
- Contactless Payment
- Mastercard® SecureCode
- 20€ discount directly in your statement by spending €60 in one or more transactions with Carta on Italotreno.it
- Free fee the 1st year. From the 2nd €5.50 per month
- You can choose to pay in full or in installments
- Premium level of the Italo Più program
- 4 Vouchers per year for access to Italo Club Lounges
- Preferential Access to Italo's Fast Track at the station
- For every 5 purchases of Italo ticketing and/or onboard services made with Italo American Express Credit Card you will receive 1 voucher for room upgrade
- Welcome bonus of 100,000 Volare points upon reaching 6 thousand in spending in the first 3 months after card issuance
- Accumulate 1.5 qualifying Volare points for every euro spent, accumulate an additional 3 non-qualifying Volare points ( for a total of 4.5 Volare points) for every euro spent on ticketing purchases and other services offered by ITA Airways
- Access to the Premium Club of ITA Airways' Volare program.
- ITA Airways Lounge Access
- Free excess baggage
- Points Back