Excuse me while I vent a little....
I go everywhere in my car, I don't particularly want to but with the state of Irish public transport, I don't really have a choice. As a treat, and instead of a painful 4/5 hour drive to Dublin (and some scary driving in Dublin...), I booked cheap flights with Ryan Air for myself and my sons (see previous post for our plan!!). The flights were not that much but the taxes were ridiculous, but what the hay. His first time on a plane.
I discovered 2 days before I'm due to fly (this Saturday), that Ryan Air have changed their child policies since I last looked. All children including babies, must have some form of travel document on internal flights. In other words a passport. This came into force in May 09, if you booked your flight before that your OK, if you didn't (and of course I didn't ), your not. My three year old needs a passport to fly to Dublin. To get him a passport in time, I need to do a 2 hour drive to Cork, pay €25 for a 5 year passport, (because he was 3 last week), pay €30 for the privilege of getting it over-the-counter, hang around Cork for a few hours, pick up said passport and drive home to catch a cheap flight to Dublin the following morning.
So, I try to cancel. I can't. You can't cancel a Ryan Air flight, you just don't turn up. I won't get a Ryan Air refund on the price of the flight, the handling etc, but I'm entitled to a refund of the exorbitant airport taxes I was charged. However, Ryan Air charge an administration fee for the privilege of applying for said tax refund and chances are I wont get any money back.
This is what I get for trying to be impulsive and book last minute to go up to Dublin and enjoy myself. I rang my mum, she said just get the train. So, I check Irish Rail: €72.00 for a four hour train journey, but at least the child goes free. And they wonder why we all have cars, and use our cars to go everywhere. Take away the politicians chauffeurs and their privileges, make them suffer like the rest of us. Imagine how fast the public transport would improve if they had to use it!
After all this, I don't know if it's worth if for the 36 hour trip to Dublin...I'm wrecked already just thinking about it!
2 comments:
OMG - glad I read this have never had any ID for dd going to UK would have never thought to check.
I have learned to drive at 35 cos the Irish transport system meant me and my dd's were destined to a life of going nowhere. There is a train promised - were getting there? but I wont be able to afford the darn thing the way it's going!
I was a late driver as well. When I decided to winter it in Dingle a few years back, I just wasn't doing it without my own transport...
From October Ryan Air won't accept driver's licences for Adults either. It's to do with their online check-in.You can only use your passport for online check in, and from October there will be no choice but to online check in...
To get a kids passport you need the consent of both parents in front of a garda, or a written note from a judge to say you are the sole guardian of the child, so any single mums out there..be warned...
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