Ryanair CEO: Stupid Customers Deserve Fees

[Anderson]

http://redtape.nbcne...erve-hefty-fees

Basically what it says on the tin. It ends with a bit of an op-ed piece, but...well, I can't say he isn't being honest, but I do agree with the sentiment in the editorial bit (that such fees, almost always being one-sided, are basically traps set out on purpose).

I think I've gone off on this business model before a few times, so I'll save a full-blown rant for another day. But I will reinforce the sentiment I've expressed before (and which is expressed in the more editorial bit) that businesses which rely on such a model really ought to have a few hard lumps coming their way.

 

[PRR 60]

http://redtape.nbcne...erve-hefty-fees

Basically what it says on the tin. It ends with a bit of an op-ed piece, but...well, I can't say he isn't being honest, but I do agree with the sentiment in the editorial bit (that such fees, almost always being one-sided, are basically traps set out on purpose).

I think I've gone off on this business model before a few times, so I'll save a full-blown rant for another day. But I will reinforce the sentiment I've expressed before (and which is expressed in the more editorial bit) that businesses which rely on such a model really ought to have a few hard lumps coming their way.

Ryanair (FR) is a successful operation where everyone, including the customers, knows the score. Anyone who does not like their way of doing business can fly someone else. They are not a monopoly. Other airlines fly the same routes. However, if you play their game, you can get dirt-cheap fares.

Want a full service airline with reasonable fees? Fly BA, AF or LH. Want cheap fares with lots of rules and fees. Fly FR. Everyone hates FR, yet their passenger count keeps climbing. I guess people don't hate them enough to not fly them.

 

[Anderson]

http://redtape.nbcne...erve-hefty-fees

Basically what it says on the tin. It ends with a bit of an op-ed piece, but...well, I can't say he isn't being honest, but I do agree with the sentiment in the editorial bit (that such fees, almost always being one-sided, are basically traps set out on purpose).

I think I've gone off on this business model before a few times, so I'll save a full-blown rant for another day. But I will reinforce the sentiment I've expressed before (and which is expressed in the more editorial bit) that businesses which rely on such a model really ought to have a few hard lumps coming their way.

Ryanair (FR) is a successful operation where everyone, including the customers, knows the score. Anyone who does not like their way of doing business can fly someone else. They are not a monopoly. Other airlines fly the same routes. However, if you play their game, you can get dirt-cheap fares.

Want a full service airline with reasonable fees? Fly BA, AF or LH. Want cheap fares with lots of rules and fees. Fly FR. Everyone hates FR, yet their passenger count keeps climbing. I guess people don't hate them enough to not fly them.

I'm actually going to disagree. Yes, people know that there are games going on with Ryanair, but at the same time those rules are wont to change and get worse. Moreover, I suspect that the "fee escalation" over the last few years is actually a side-effect of consumers "wising up" to some of the fees and dodging a lot of the bullets...so Ryanair (and likely some of the other "gotcha airlines") has been steadily ramping up those fees. I know that yes, some of it has just been bumping up the fee income, but I can't help but get the feeling that if you do get a slow wising-up among the consumer base (on a statistical level, at least...say, the number of "fee whales" drops by 5-10%), they're just going to have to resort to either even larger fees on those items or find new fees to charge (such as the infamous "spend a penny" fee).

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

I really dislike FR and NK in the US. Then again, if customers know to read about the rules and fees, they won't have huge difficulties. So yes, I agree with O'Leary, if you're stupid, you better pay for it. When everybody gets smart, FR and NK will start losing business. But that won't happen for a long time if ever.

Anyway, I ride Greyhound now if I can't take Amtrak, and don't fly on any LCCs, ever! Long-haul flights don't have them anyway.