Ryanair offers £50 off flights but there are two big catches

Ryanairhas promised £50 off return flights for passengers who sign up to its Prime membership, but reviews of the deal are mixed.

The budget airline is about to release its Prime Member offer for August, giving members £50 off return flights operating between 30 October and 27 November. To become a member, you have to pay a £79 sign-up fee, which lasts for the whole year.

According to Ryanair, members have been able to save more than £500 so far since the scheme launched in March this year. If things continue in that direction, then Prime subscription holders might expect to pocket about £1,000 in savings by the end of the 12-month membership period. The latest membership sale beganjust after Ryanair's boss admitted staff are given bonuses for catching passengers with non-compliant bags.

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The Prime deal isn't quite as uncomplicated or good as the airline suggests, however.

Firstly, Ryanair's calculation of potential savings only makes sense if you fly regularly anyway, always reserve a seat, and buy Ryanair's flight insurance policy. The airline includes savings of £120 for seat reservations and £180 for travel insurance. Extra bags and priority boarding are not included in the deal.

The even bigger issue is the potential ticket savings. Ryanair launches a three-day sale window each month, during which members can buy discounted fares. The next one begins on 1 August.

Ryanair promises that members can bag "£50 off return flights for travel between Thursday, 30 October and Thursday, 27 November". However, customers who have signed up for the subscription have claimed that the deals are rarely that impressive and often little better than those that can be found by searching on Skyscanner.

The short sale window, combined with the uncertainty on which flights will be included in the sale, means the benefits are limited for frequent flyers.

One unhappy passenger recently wrote on Reddit: "I’m in a long-distance relationship and I fly every two weeks from London to Helsinki. Ryanair is by far the cheapest and most convenient airline for me. I thought 'hmm I fly a lot, so this £80 should be worth it.'

"It’s a scam. The free allocated seats are from like row 19 and behind, no front rows you have to pay extra for any of them. Kind of useless. The cheaper returns are a scam, genuinely cheaper to just look at Skyscanner. The app does not say when or if there is a discount for the next month so if there’s no discount next month, it’s basically wiping your ass with cash.

"No priority boarding, no extra bag, no discounts, only crappy seat selection. I’ve had two delayed flights over two hours, but as it’s just under 3 hours so I’m entitled to nothing. Nothing about this is worth the upfront cost."

Another added: "I just got an email with the so-called discounted rates for members, and all I can say is it’s a joke. There are just a few seats in planes (not all of them, mind you) for Prime members, so if they are sold out, you won't be able to claim your free seat."