I regulary fly Malaga - Stansted (2 x month) on Easyjet and speedy boarding is a farce, you are called first at Stansted to walk on and wait longest, at Malaga you board a bus 1st & wait for the other passengers until full, at the plane you get in the scrum with the rest! All cheap flights ra con!

Jeff, Norwich, UK

I LOVE not being allocated a seat in advance. That way I can avoid loud teenagers, crying babies, "hen" or "stag" night parties and anybody I don't like the look of! I've been known to change my seat three times while others are faffing about to get a seat by somebody civilised!

Katy, York,

I paid for Speedy Boarding with Easyjet. Going out of Luton was fine, the system was well organised. But on the return flight from Geneva the incoming flight was slightly late. And although the announcement called for Speed Boarders first, everyone totally ignored it and I gained no advantage.

Deborah Davenport, Easton on the Hill, Stamford, UK

I regularly fly with Ryanair but hate them with a passion. Unfortuantely, they are the only airline company that operate that route. From what I have seen priority boarding means you have to stand in a queue for longer than people who have not been daft enough to give Ryanair anymore money.

Ruth, Paris,

Having read the above -- Wow! Am I glad that I've never been so dim as to pay for 'priority' boarding.

F Brown, Shepton Mallet , UK

I have flown twice with Ryanair and I can safely say I will never board one of their aircraft again. They treat their customers with contempt. Anybody who complains gets a second serving. If the choice is Ryanair or not going I'll stay at home. Go scheduled...Qatar Airways if you can.

Stork , Doha, Qatar

The IQ of front line budget airline staff is not an issue - they simply say what they are told to say by airline management whose IQ and integrity are certainly questionable. Vote with your feet and wallet - do not travel with budget airlines or, do not pay for expensive and worthless options.

Garthwaite Watts, WOKINGHAM, UK

I fly from malaga to london on a regular basis and have often been amazed and amused to see easyjet call all the priority boarders first...and later see them hoarded onto the same buses as everyone else. When the buses arive at the plane, people are lierally running to get to the stairs first.

h limb, mijas Costa, spain

The obvious solution would be to allow people to pay extra to select their seats in advance - just as is done with reservations on trains. Then you would actually be guaranteed to get something for your money.
When you checkin online with BA you can choose your seat: a tangible benefit included.

David-Paul, London, London

On a Ryanair flight from Germany to London I watched those with priority boarding cards get to the bus first only to wait a good 10 minutes in the freezing cold of the German winter before the bus was full with non-prio passengers.. it made me laugh, why bother? everyone arrives at the same time!

Tim, Stuttgart, Germany

How stupid do you have to be to pay for priority boarding?! You rarely know if you're going to be using a bus to get to the aircraft, in which case it's completely negated. Anyway, you're going to get a seat somewhere.

Can't really fault Easyjet or Flybe, don't pay much so don't expect too much.

Bob, London, UK

Natalie High Peak is right. There was a policy of priority boarding for families with little children which was working well. This should be maintained without charge.

joe, cambridge, uk

Can't understand how daft you have to be to sit in a cramped seat for longer than needed and pay the airline for the privelage , why not sit back relax, enjoy the rest of your drink wait for everybody else to board the plane, then get on last.

makes far more sense to me.

keith, chester, uk

I have seen a lot of people who had priority boarding cards and they did not know what it was. Check-in staff gave it without explanation and the card was in English: not everybody understands this language.

Giorgia, Italy,

On a recent return flight from Pisa airport,my partner and I paid Ryanair for priority boarding. We were amongst the first aboard the airport transportation bus but were joined soon after by non-priorty fare paying customers. As they were last on the bus, they boared the aircraft first!

KEVIN GREEN, DANBURY, ESSEX

Suprised with the comments about priority boarding being necessary to have families with young children seated together. I can't say for Ryanair but Easyjet boarding families after the speedy boarding and before the rest so it is always possible to sit together.

mike, Athens,

On a flight to USA last year we were in a queue at check in at Manchester. There was some sort of Premier boarding, with larger seats, free drinks and VIP lounge available for a fee.
We were singled out for a random search and then put right at the front of the Premier queue. Protests were ignore

David Nammory, Liverpool,

Traveling with 3 under 5, I refused paying for priority (used to be free) I had to sit the kids all over the plane, but then hearing the staff say I should have paid for priority to all sit together, in the end they had to ask people to move.. RA create the problem RA resolve it, and they did !!

Simon, London,

I don't understand why so many people are critical of Ryanair for their staff, pricing policy or their service.
I fly frequently with them and they deliver what they promise. Alternative is to be ripped off by BA and Lufthansa with arrogant staff
Recently, 3€ for coffee on 400€ SAS flight!

David S Brown, Hundsdorf, Germany

CAA guidelines clearly state that 'Children should be seated where they can be adequately supervised by an accompanying adult in the event of turbulence or a decompression in the cabin'. Children should not be more than one row or aisle from the adult.
Wrt Ryanir you may need to insist this happens

Cal, UK,

It's priority boarding for the bus that gets one to the aircraft. Not for boarding the aircraft!
The Ryanair staff is typically rude, poorly trained and have no idea which states are members of the EC. I guess being no frills, cheap airline means they must get rude, illiterate staff indeed.

Dr Cat, Nottingham, UK

I love Ryanairs internet checkin and free priority boarding. I travel within Europe most weekends and only bring hand luggage. I consider airtravel like catching the bus these days. Long live Ryanair! that has made it possible for me and many others to work anywhere in Europe and weekend commute.

Bjorn, Europe,

I flew with Ryanair at least half a dozen times within 2 months, and for all those times I paid for, ha!, "priority boarding" I never once boarded before any other passenger. We were allowed to board the BUS first, but it was the same old bun fight as soon as the doors of the bus opened. TOTAL CON.

Amanda H, Tickhill, Doncaster, UK

I often flies from Milan-Bergamo to London Luton with Ryanair in the late Sunday night. I can easily daresay that in the 70% of the cases the doors of the "non-priority" passenger bus are opened at the same time of the "priority" passenger bus ones.

Michele, High Wycombe,

I am a regular flier and have never used these budget carriers. i find it amazing that they can get away with charging for this. "Civilised" airlines let customers with Priority needs i.e - The OLD and familes with Children board first.

jamesg, Shanghai, China

I never fly with Ryanair unless there is is absolutely no other option available. They have made great mileage out of conning people with their hidden charges for everything for a long time now but it can't last forever. I can't wait for the backlash to begin asthey've earned no customer loyalty!

Susie, Bermuda,

I used priority boarding on Easyjet to ensure I could sit with my partner and 6 month old. We were first onto the bus and so were last onto the plane. Easyjet staff made no attempt to ensure that we boarded the plane first. It would have been more beneficial for us to have boarded the bus last.

Graeme, Chelmsford,

Why would anyone want to pay to be on an aeroplane longer than necessary? I used Easyjet for the first time on Monday, didn't pay the extra for speedy boarding and guess what? There was still a seat for me! Amazing what people are prepared to be scammed by.

Philip Williams, Worcester Park, UK

Wow, people actually use Ryanair? That's like taking on a card shark: you deserve what you get. Only you know it in advance with Ryanair.
I dread the day when I find they're the only people flying a particular route I need to travel. But then I never need to go from nowhere to nowhere else.

Paul M, Puerto del Rosario, Spain

Whatever happened to the common decency of letting the elderly, infirm and families with young children board first? Why must everything turn into a rat race?

James, Milto,

tell me what isn't fraud these days!!!!!
our government,our politicians,and everything else.
the whole system is set up to rip the people most efficiently.

ebbi britt, valencia,

As a mother with two small children I have to have priority boarding as there is no guarantee that we will all be seated together otherwise. Would anyone feel comfortable sitting several rows away from their three year old and five year old on a two hour plane journey? It is a scam without a doubt.

Natalie, High Peak, uk

There are 189 seats on a 737-800. Even if you're 189th in the queue, you'll still get a seat! I always sit tight and let the sheep stand for ages in the boarding queue. If you then go to the rear of the cabin you can usually still find a free row. Priority booking is a waste of time and money!

Ken Strong, Hornchurch,

Largely it's a scam. Both airlines sell unlimited numbers of 'priority' passes, which means there can be 50 or 60 'priority' passengers. Wait for the next one - the Super Priority that let's you jump the 'priority' queue ! Just another trick to make money without hiking the advertised price.

Chris, London,

Easyjet's claim is rubbish. I have just today flown back from Venice with Easyjet speedy boarding. I had to wave it at the gate at which point I had to duck under the barrier for the privilege of being allowed on the bus first, no priority for the plane itself and no bus discount mentioned.

Margaret, London, UK

I've never used priority boarding. I think people should be allowed to waste their money if they want - its one of the benefits of living in an advanced economy. It probably subsdises people who are more frugal, at some point down the supply chain.

Jamie, Truro,

The combined IQ of Ryanair and Easy Jet staff is zero!

Nigel Williams, Madrid, Spain

Seats should be allocated. I will not travel with easyjet or Ryanair

mike, cyprus,

We routinely use Priority Boarding and Check-In when flying EasyJet for business purposes. It is an excellent system and is worth the relatively small investment. The RyanAir version is, unfortunately, not as effective and well managed and leaves a lot to be desired.

Graeme , Liss, UK

I never choose priority boarding - we noticed that when you had to get on a bus it had no advantage whatsoever!
It also needs the ground staff to be vigilant in just letting priority boarders on first - this also varies.
Overall - a rip off - just Ryan Air milking as much cash as possible.

Jill, Royston Herts, UK

I paid for speedy boarding and even though no buses were used we were all boarded at the same time - it is just a scam and I won't be using it again

Dr Cathy Jackson, Dundee,