
Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary is on a roll once again.
In case you’re not familiar with O’Leary or his low-cost European airline, one phrase should give you a pretty good idea of what they’re all about: “Pay Toilets.” Yes, most believe that O’Leary will eventually charge travelers for everything he can possibly charge for, and his idea to make you pay to use the loo wasn’t the joke that some people first thought. He seems quite serious about making it a reality. A recent article in the New York Times expanded on O’Leary’s pay-toilet idea and the no-frills model. Oh, and O’Leary has even coined a phrase:
“Most passengers – the ‘discretionary toilet visitors,’ as he calls them — would eventually forgo in-flight bathroom use altogether, he predicted. Which is good, because he would also like to reduce the number of bathrooms per plane, to one.”
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So, what else can travelers (including all those “discretionary toilet visitors”) expect from Ryanair? How about a slightly different take on customer service:
“Our customer service is unlike every other airline, which has this image of, ‘We want to fall down at your feet and you can walk all over us and the customer is always right,’ and all that nonsense…’Will we put you in a hotel room if your flight was canceled?’ Mr. O’Leary asked rhetorically. ‘No! Go away.’”
Many have questioned why people continue to put up with an airline that seemingly cares nothing for the customer. The answer seems to be cheap flights (O’Leary also points to a good on-time record). This leads me back to the question we’ve been asking a lot of late: What are you willing to give up for a good airfare deal? Pay-toilets, standing room only on planes? In the U.S., we’re already getting used to all of the extra fees, but would travelers be willing to put up with the type of airline O’Leary seems to pride himself on running? Let us know what you think.
I have traveled quite a bit around the world. And while it will probably prove true that people will put up with anything and have short memories, so slime like this can get away with the attitude– I find that, while I have the money and the time, the more they mess with me the more likely I am to just stay home and not take the trip. And all because the experience of “getting there” is so annoying.
Well Rick,
you recently had a post about turbulence. Your counsel? Use the loo before and after the flight, for safety reasons.
I guess that’s what Ryanair is trying to do here – improve safety! NOT!
I think Ol’eary won’t do it. This is just a way to make people talk about his firm. And it works quite good no?
It was exactly the same thing about standing flights
Peter,
You could be right; on the other hand, he’s been talking about it for a long time now.
Rick