Meaning with priority boarding?

Hi,

Whats the real meaning with priority boarding? Last week I took flight to and from TRF-STN.. each time there was about 5-6 people with priority boarding. I did not have it, but I showed up so early that I was number 5-6 in the row of no priority people, making me the 12th person in line.

I mean there was no problem for me to get a decent seat, what seats are so valuable that I should have priority boarding?
I guess this is just a way from ryanair to make some more money?

But why dont they enable you to register for a seat reservation when booking the ticket as other airlines do?
This will prevent the stress factor when boarding on(you know your seat is for you)
They could charge the same price for this and I believe more people would use that offer.

Had a funny episode with one of the priority boarders by the way..

He was the first out of the terminal heading to the plane, for some reason he went to the back entrance, only finding it closed, so he ran back to the front entrance, where some people already had queued up.
Then they opened the back entrance, were also some people had queued up.. he then was so angry that he rolled together his boarding card and tossed it on the ground...
When finally getting in the plane, he was not allowed entry without the boarding card, so he had to look for it on the ground, luckily he found it, but ended up as the last to bard the plane

Nice story!
Yes it is just a way of making money: years ago priority was free for everybody who flew with a online check in. After a while FR asked 5 pounds for that, so almost nobody bought it. NOwadays priority isn't that expensive (2 euroI guess) however in my opinion it's just useful on long trips (more than 90 mins). It's nice to see that a lot of people who bought priority just seat wherever: the nicest places are for instance at the very first row (more legroom and disembark quickly).
They don't register you otherwise because boarding should be done very quickly so if you pay and you find your favourite place nice else...Also I think that they should change a lot in their software and in their systems to allow a system booking system as for instance the major lines.
I've to admit I am always one of the firsts to enter without priority so normally I seat where I want without paying nothing more.

The most 'valuable' seats on a FR aircraft are the 12 emergency row seats - they are fantastic for 3 hour flights with so much leg room.

j2op wrote:Nowadays priority isn't that expensive (2 euroI guess).

It's 4 Euro/4 GBP at the moment, which has reduced the number of passengers buying it even further. Yes mostly there are only between 5 and 15 passengers using the service, when you think back to where there were around 40 to 50 using it while Priority Boarding cost as little as 2 Euro.

King of Ryanland wrote:

j2op wrote:Nowadays priority isn't that expensive (2 euroI guess).

It's 4 Euro/4 GBP at the moment, which has reduced the number of passengers buying it even further. Yes mostly there are only between 5 and 15 passengers using the service, when you think back to where there were around 40 to 50 using it while Priority Boarding cost as little as 2 Euro.

You are right 4 euro's per flight. I don't use it, because mostly I am standing as one of the first non Priority. I think Priority is just useful on a little fr flights

When I was flying back from Gran Canaria to Weeze, we had also Priority boarding. We were "boarding" the plane, but the plane wasn't arrived yet. So we waited approximately 10 mins., and about 5 meters from the Regular passengers. When the plane arrived, we all could board the plane at the same time. So Priority doesn't have to mean you can get on board earlier...
(

I would never buy priority boarding .. ive flew many many times and it is very unusual for a flight to be so full 2 or 3 people cannot sit together.
I have been witness to many pax on several flights holding their priority passes for which they have paid.. hurrying to the front steps and hopeing for those front row seats with extra leg room.... once aboard they realise they cannot sit there because not enough passengers are aboard so trays are down and most pax are moved to the centre of the cabin for weight distribution.
If i paid for priority i would hope im paying for a numbered seat.. that way i feel i am getting something for my money and not just hope.

I went to Tenerife, from STN last month, no priority boarding either way, managed to get an emergency exit row seat each way, by being one of the first "non-priority" passengers. A chance I took, but worked out fine, espescially as it took 4 hours to get there and 4 hours 15 mins to get back.

I've never bought a priority boarding and never will. It's nothing but giving Ryanair another few Euros which brings me almost nothing.
I saw interesting situation last days in Wroclaw when was boarded on Oslo Torp flight. We all have entered a bus and after arriving to the airplane the driver has opened only front doors and allows to leave only those few pax with priority cards. Then rest of all. Well, it was Wizzair's flight... It gives some value, but not interesting for me, so I won't change my opinion about this "product"