Let’s have a look and wonder at an airfare that’s €120.34 cheaper, between Ryanair vs Jet2 and which is the better value.
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If you live in Spain, own property in Spain, holiday in Spain, or simply have a mother-in-law who insists on flying over six times a year “because the weather helps her arthritis,” then chances are your life now revolves around budget airlines.
And at some point, every Brit abroad eventually faces the same deeply personal question:
Do you fly Ryanair and save money? Think of all the Wetherspoon beers in Alicante airport you can afford!
Or fly Jet2 and keep your remaining sanity?
Because these two airlines are basically the angel and devil sitting on opposite shoulders of British holidaymakers.
One says:
“We’ll get you there cheaply.”
The other says:
“Yes, but perhaps without feeling like cattle being transported to a Mediterranean holding facility.”
Over a coffee this morning, I looked at flights from Alicante to Liverpool, going out 2nd July 2026, returning 7th July 2026.
Ryanair: Europe’s Flying Car Boot Sale
Let’s start with Ryanair.
The airline everyone claims to hate while simultaneously booking six flights a year with them because the prices are roughly equivalent to a meal deal and a scratchcard.
Ryanair operates on a very simple business model:
Get you from Liverpool to Alicante for less than the cost of a night out…
then emotionally mug you at every possible opportunity afterwards.
The advertised fare always sounds unbelievable.
“Flights from €14.99!”
Wonderful.
Until you realise the ticket only includes:
- one small bag
- oxygen (currently free)
- and enough legroom to mildly inconvenience a hamster.
Want a proper cabin suitcase?
More money.
Want to choose where your own backside sits for nearly three hours?
More money.
And not “oh, a little extra.”
No.
Sometimes seat selection costs nearly as much as the actual flight itself.
Refuse to pay it and Ryanair will separate you and your partner like witnesses entering protection programmes.
One of you ends up in Row 5.
The other somewhere near the emergency exits speaking to a confused Dutch pensioner called Hans.
Of course, Ryanair insists this is “random allocation.”
Which is technically true in the same way a casino is “random.”
The Ryanair Boarding Experience
Then comes the boarding process.
Or as it’s more accurately known:
“The Hunger Games with passports.”
Other airlines use airbridges.
Ryanair prefers you to walk across the tarmac in sideways rain while clutching a lukewarm Pret sandwich and questioning your life choices.
Because apparently airbridges cost money.
And if there’s one thing Ryanair hates more than passenger comfort, it’s spending absolutely anything.
You could be boarding in:
- blazing Alicante sunshine
- horizontal Liverpool rain
- or winds strong enough to relocate caravans
Doesn’t matter.
You’re walking.
At speed.
Usually towards a plane parked approximately somewhere near Portugal.
And yet somehow… people still clap when they land.
The Famous Ryanair Trumpet Fanfare
Of course, no Ryanair flight is complete without the famous trumpet fanfare blasting through the cabin after landing on time.
The only issue being:
They calculate Liverpool to Alicante at 2 hours 50 minutes while virtually every other airline manages it in around 2 hours 45.
So effectively Ryanair congratulates itself for completing a race it secretly extended beforehand.
It’s like a bloke setting his watch ten minutes slow then proudly announcing:
“See? Early again.”
Still, the fanfare works.
Because after surviving three hours trapped beside a stag do drinking duty-free vodka from a Sprite bottle, people genuinely feel they’ve achieved something.
Jet2: The Airline Equivalent Of A Comfortable Pub
Then you’ve got Jet2.
Still technically a budget airline, although some of the pricing now suggests they believe they’re operating private charter flights for minor royalty.
But compared to Ryanair, Jet2 feels oddly civilised.
Clean planes.
Friendly staff.
Nobody aggressively measuring your hand luggage like airport bouncers inspecting fake ID outside a nightclub.
And perhaps most importantly:
the boss doesn’t spend every interview sounding like he personally despises humanity.
Jet2 operates with a completely different atmosphere.
You board the aircraft and immediately feel like someone might actually care whether you survive the experience.
Cabin crew smile.
People speak politely.
Nobody’s wrestling a suitcase into an overhead locker like it’s the final round of Gladiators.
The Price Difference That Makes Your Eyes Water
Now let’s compare actual flights.
Liverpool to Alicante.
Same route.
Same destination.
Same burnt tourists arriving to complain about the heat.
Ryanair
- Alicante departure: 22:55
- Liverpool departure: 19:05
- Flight time: around 2h 45m to 2h 50m
- Ryanair Basic price: €55.37
Included:
- one tiny free bag measuring 40 x 30 x 20cm
- approximately enough packing space for:
- flip-flops
- a phone charger
- and emotional disappointment
Jet2
- Alicante departure: 12 noon
- Liverpool departure: 07:17
- Flight duration: 2h 55m
- Initial fare: €175.71
Which initially sounds expensive.
Then Jet2 starts adding extras with the calm confidence of a waiter describing specials in a restaurant you can’t afford.
Need checked luggage?
That’ll be another €57.79.
Prefer airport check-in because printing boarding passes now requires the organisational skills of NASA?
Another €30.
Want extra legroom?
€33.41.
Standard seat?
€13.69.
Sit near the front so your chicken wrap arrives before Row 28?
€18.32.
By the time you’ve finished clicking boxes, your “budget flight” now costs roughly the same as a small family hatchback.
So Which Airline Wins?
Honestly? Ryanair is €120.34 cheaper on the base price!, Yes you read this correct, a whopping €120.34 cheaper.
Both are ridiculous in completely different ways.
Ryanair treats passengers like competitive cargo.
Jet2 treats you nicely while quietly emptying your bank account one optional extra at a time.
And yet Brits will continue flying both forever because Spain has become an extension of Britain with better weather and stronger lager.
Deep down, most people already know their decision before they even search flights.
If you’re travelling with:
- one backpack
- no dignity
- and a willingness to sprint across an airport runway in the rain
You’re booking Ryanair.
If you want:
- allocated seats
- friendly staff
- and an experience that doesn’t resemble a hostage exchange
You’re probably flying Jet2.
Either way, six hours after landing, you’ll still be sitting on a plastic terrace chair in Benidorm saying:
“Worth it for the sunshine.” See more on our FB page for our witty insights.
