If you are planning to fly on Ryanair, then here is a little secret that may help bring some comfort to your trip.
When booking your tickets, you can actually pre-book a spare empty seat. Simply reserve two seats, and enter “Extra Comfort Seat” as the name for the second passenger. Especially on those very cheap Ryanair flights, you may be able to book yourself a nice double seat for about $20 extra.
The Ryanair page describing this “trick” does not mention whether the second fictional passenger is allowed to bring luggage, and I doubt the airline will allow it, as this could be a quick and cheap way to get a second seat and double your baggage allowance. Also not mentioned on the page is whether you’ll be charged twice for airport taxes.