Nov 18th, 2009 at 4:00PM: If they can't make money taking passengers from one place to another, maybe airlines can harness the power of eyeballs ... you know, the way the web does. If you get enough people passing by a particular spot -- physical or virtual -- it's possible to toss up a few ads and make some money. This is what AirTran has in mind. The airline is putting ads on the bottoms of seat-back tray tables. So, for ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
ryanair posts
AirTran tries to make money like an internet company
Nov 18th, 2009 at 4:00PM: If they can't make money taking passengers from one place to another, maybe airlines can harness the power of eyeballs ... you know, the way the web does. If you get enough people passing by a particular spot -- physical or virtual -- it's possible to toss up a few ads and make some money. This is what AirTran has in mind. The airline is putting ads on the bottoms of seat-back tray tables. So, for ...Eight months in a Swedish prison for drunk Ryanair passenger
Nov 6th, 2009 at 1:30PM: Back in June, a drunk Ryanair passenger started to freak out, and attempted to open the aircraft door in the middle of a flight from Riga to London.
The man had finished an entire liter of vodka and a couple of beers, and it took two professional boxers to get him away from the door and pin him to the ground.
The plane ended up making an emergency landing in Sweden to dispose of their drunk ...Ryanair threatens to "divorce" Boeing
Nov 4th, 2009 at 3:00PM: Ryanair may start to look for its planes closer to home. Of course, saying it was thinking about a switch from Boeing to Airbus would be far too simple for CEO Michael O'Leary ... the genius behind "pay-to-pee" and many, many other stunts. O'Leary needs a bit more style, which is why his new intentions are being called "divorce."
O'Leary believes that the management shakeup at Boeing has taken the ...Big flyer on Ryanair? Order an "extra comfort seat"
Aug 28th, 2009 at 1:00PM: 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 ...European airline competition reaching the boiling point
Aug 23rd, 2009 at 12:00PM: Even though the environment has changed dramatically, airlines in the US are a pretty calm and respectful bunch. New airlines come (and go), and their competition is limited to copying each others routes and prices. Very rarely will you hear airline A call airline B anything nasty. In Europe, things are different - very different. Competition in Europe is cutthroat, and this doesn't always end up ...Ryanair fumbles check-in, hundreds delayed
Aug 4th, 2009 at 4:00PM: Hundreds of Ryanair passengers were left behind on Sunday, when a shortage of check-in desks caused them to miss their flights out of London's Stansted Airport. The airline, which encourages passengers to check in online, only opened 11 check-in desks on one of the UK's busiest travel weekends of the year, when 255 flights were scheduled to depart. 23 desks were open the previous weekend.
Over ...Brutally honest Ryanair CEO says: "go away" to demanding passengers
Aug 2nd, 2009 at 11:00AM: The New York Times recently sat down with Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary for what turned out to be a brutally honest interview. The essence of his interview was simple - Ryanair will get you to your destination for a very low fare, on time, with few cancellations and few lost bags. Mr O'Leary was very clear about providing anything other than the most basic of services - anyone expecting or demanding ...Ryanair: (don't) smoke if you got 'em!
Jul 30th, 2009 at 2:00PM: Ryanair isn't the first carrier to allow "smokeless" cigarettes on their planes. These devices mimic the sensation of puffing, I'm told by a user, with a water vapor that is released. What makes the announcement distinctly "Ryanair" is that the devices are now being sold on its flights.
You can buy a pack of ten of these smokeless wonders for €6. To purchase the equivalent of a pack of cigs, ...The high price of low cost airlines
Jul 23rd, 2009 at 12:30PM: Low cost airlines are awesome - they have completely changed the way people fly, but they also helped redesign the entire aviation world, sending a powerful wakeup call to the legacy carriers. There is however a nasty side to them - in their drive to cut costs and keep prices low, they have started to alienate customers and take on a very nasty attitude. When flying with a low cost carrier, you ...Will passengers stand for latest Ryanair stunt?
Jul 6th, 2009 at 1:30PM: Just when you think Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary can't come up with another way to mess with his passengers, he takes away the seats. The European low-cost carrier's latest way to cut costs and cram more people on planes is to stick them on stools with seatbelts. According to the Daily Mail, he's even spoken with Boeing about making this happen.
The nice expression for this, used Ryanair ...New fees aren't new, but airlines keep trying
Jun 23rd, 2009 at 12:00PM: Cheaper fares are being offset by an array of extra fees, as airlines try to bring in some extra revenue in order to keep planes in the sky. And, to a certain extent, it's working. United Airlines forecasts $1 billion in revenue from these fees this year – accounting for more than 5 percent of its revenue. But, as they try to find new ways to dig into your wallet, fewer and fewer new ideas ...Would you pay for an empty bladder?
Jun 10th, 2009 at 12:00PM: Aaron Hotfelder votes "Yes!" for Ryanair's pay-to-play approach to in-flight urination. I go with more of a "maybe," as I tend to support anything that helps airlines bring in a bit more cash – after all, they need it. But, I can see why the average passenger wouldn't be too thrilled about popping a few coins in the slot. Apparently, there are plenty of people out there with opinions. ...Hey, you already pay to use the bathroom on flights: In defense of Ryanair's proposed "pay to pee" scheme
Jun 8th, 2009 at 9:00AM: Before your head explodes with indignation at Ryanair's recent proposal to charge passengers about $1.65 to use the bathroom on flights, let me inform you of something you may not have considered: You already pay to use the bathroom on every flight you take.
That's right, American Airlines charges to use the bathroom, and so does Southwest, British Airways, Uzbekistan Airways, Rwandair Express, ...Pay to pee on Ryanair no joke
Jun 5th, 2009 at 4:30PM: Remember when we called Ryanair's plans to charge for lavatory access a stunt? Yeah, we do, too. Those were simpler days, I guess. It turns out, that stunt concealed an even larger one. CEO Michael O'Leary announced that the airline will begin charging one pound (around $1.65) for access to the special rooms at the front and back of the plane.
I actually see some restraint on the press-whorish ...Airline complains about fees?!
May 28th, 2009 at 1:30PM: Like all airlines, Qantas is looking to cut costs. And, it saw an opportunity by forming partnerships with some of Australia's airports. If all were to go according to plan, Qantas could make a dent in its annual airport costs of $544 million (AU$700 million). While some airports are willing to play ball, others (like Sydney and Brisbane) aren't ... leaving an airline to complain about fees, for a ...JetAmerica, new Ohio-based budget airline launched today
May 27th, 2009 at 8:00PM: When Skybus folded last year, there were rumblings that it might resurrect but in another form. JetAmerica, a new budget airlines has just launched in Toledo. Is Skybus rising like a phoenix from the ashes? Like Skybus, JetAmerica is borrowing some of Ryanair's strategies but unlike Columbus's defunct airline that left behind a hole in airline service and oodles of bills is hoping to avoid ...Ryanair: print your tickets at home or not, you pay
May 19th, 2009 at 1:00PM: We're all used to airline fees that punish inconvenient behavior. So, I was beyond impressed when Ryanair found a way to punish the helpful ... and punish the helpless. Starting on May 20, passengers will have to pay €10 if they print their own tickets. Essentially, taking matters into your own hands and saving time and expense at the airport will cost you somewhere between $10 and $15.
It ...Ryanair: get in shape, carry your own bags
May 10th, 2009 at 8:00AM: European object of disdain low-cost carrier Ryanair is always looking for ways to save a few bucks. From pay-to-piss to the fat tax, the airline has put forth a stream of ideas that really haven't gotten off the ground. Well, CEO Michael O'Leary has a new one to add to the list: mandatory luggage self-service.
Under this new model, passengers would carry their bags through airport security and ...Flight delays may be wrinkle in Ryanair fat tax
May 2nd, 2009 at 12:00PM: Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary says he'll only move forward with plans to charge oversized passengers for extra seats if it's easy. If it slows down the process of checking people in and getting planes pushed back from the gate, he wants no part of making more money.
Surprisingly, O'Leary didn't comment on whether larger passengers would slow planes down, causing further delays. The media whore ...Ryanair CEO: Swine flu only affects 'slum dwellers'
Apr 28th, 2009 at 4:00PM: I'm apprehensive about giving any press to the buffoon who runs the Irish budget airline Ryanair. But so adept is Michael O'Leary, the company's CEO, at making ill-considered statements that its simply too easy to report them. This is the guy who recently suggested that Ryanair might begin charging for use of its on board toilets, and a while back suggested that the airline might start giving out ...
