I've flown on various airlines, the only time I've been treated differently was when I got bumped to business class and all the flight attendants called me sir and gave me free drink.

That’s not to mention that Aer Lingus will actually fly you to within 50 miles of your destination.

Because you pay more.

I’ve had a number of bad experiences with RyanAir where they basically tell everyone to board the flight, causing nearly 180 people to rush towards the desk.

They didn't force you to jump up and get in line. Sit and wait until the crowd has cleared. Your seat is booked.

After you showing your boarding pass, you step into a stairwell that leads the tarmac only to be told they’re waiting on arriving passengers to disembark the plane. This leaves an entire plane full of people crammed into what is essentially a staircase inside the terminal, sometimes for up to 45 mins, waiting to board a plane that was apparently ready to boarded.

That happened to me on BA and Aer Lingus.

I’m all for efficiency, low-cost travel etc, but that’s not what RyanAir do.

If it wasn't for Ryanair, there wouldn't be such a thing as low-cost travel. I really don't understand this "they treat people like shit" attitude people have towards them after a few bad experiences. I've had bad experiences with many airlines, including non low-budget ones. People pay economically yet expect premium.