Safety aside, I do think there is a serious question over the impact of Ryanair's gratuitously confrontational service model on its business model.
CEO Michael O'Leary frequently likens Ryanair to America's legendary Southwest Airlines - and there's no question he based much of his model on Herb Kelleher's airline. (Ireland's bucaneering aviation community is extremely well-connected in America.) But everyone likes Southwest - even people who don't fly on it - and everyone dislikes Ryanair - even people who do fly on it.
Last night's Dispatches programme showed why. After three hours sitting on the ground in a locked aircraft, one passenger, showing Herculean self-restraint, very politely asked the captain if it wouldn't be possible for the passengers to get a non-alcoholic drink. The captain responded with a staggeringly rude, legalistic retort, revelling in his petty power, that no it was out of the question. The passenger, and I salute you sir, calmly informed the captain in measured tones that he wasn't fit to command an aircraft (or words to that effect.)
Of course, airline staff have the full weight of the law behind them and can behave as lousily as they like on board aircraft. But given the uniquely dysfunctional service model that the air transport industry provides 60-something years after it was invented, a bit more humility might be in order. (Some passengers behave appallingly of course. And sometimes I don't sympathise with them.)
As time goes by Ryanair has got more competition coming. Lots more. Most of it will go bust - but that's been happening forever and the phenomenon has ensured that, until recently, nobody ever made much money out of air transport. Some small UK low-cost start-ups have in fact survived and, more importantly, it turns out that there are entrepreneurs elsewhere in Europe - notably the new EU states to the east who have never known the statism of France, Spain, Italy and so on since they kicked the Russians out. They're inventing profitable new airlines, so are smart Germans and Swedes and, wonder of wonders, there are even stirrings in southern Europe. (France is another matter of course.)
Ryanair's phenomenal growth so far has fundamentally come by re-inventing the airline operating model but, in the market, by grossly undercutting major airlines. It's a stunning achievement. But everyone else is catching up and Easyjet has already shown that you can do nearly as well without being as cheap.
Soon passengers are routinely going to have a choice which low-cost carrier to fly with. And then Ryanair will need to be liked, not just admired.
on February 14, 2006 1:08 PM | Reply
Having grown up in the business I rate the documentary overall as "poor and popular" in one word - inconsistent regarding real issues. But if there is one allegation that can be substantiated, it is the one that can also been extracted from the correspondence between Mr. O'Leary and the TV Production team (I would say the only point), in a single statement "you pay nothing, you deserve nothing". I did fly with Ryanair, and I did fly extensively with Southwest too. If its undoubtely true that Mr O'Leary got inspitration from Herb Kheller creation but there is one point missing: customer care. Among the many reasons for Southwest success is the superior care that customers experience flying with Luv. The same is far from true for Ryanair which can be described, on my side, by the worst flying experience I ever had (regarding customer care). I admire Ryanair and I always supported the Low cost but rethink of their approach to customers is something theu need to put their jhands on if they want to live in the mid long term. As stated, the rest is not just looking.
Valerio Trinchi
on February 16, 2006 10:01 PM | Reply
Hi
Agree - we fly them because they are there not because we like them. Crew are indifferent, avoid eye contact etc. They should take a leaf out of Easy Jet's book and train cabin crew etc. in civility and customer service.
I flew from GSE to STN a few weeks ago on Ryanair and passports were not checked by the gate crew prior to boarding, same experince as the Dispatches programe.
John Martin
on April 17, 2006 2:45 PM | Reply
We just flew Ryanair from Turin and we had the single worst airline experience ever. We had a small baby with us ( just turned 2 ) who was feeling scared sitting on her own seat for the first time while landing. As we were holding her in place whilst she was kicking and shouting, none of the Ryanair staff offered any help and to make things worse an outrageously rude flight attendant came and started yelling at the already frightened infant and threatening me and my wife saying we were holding up the entire landing process. All this when the child had a seat belt fastened all through and we were desperately trying to calm her down. When I tried to make a complaint - the pilot told me "don't bother". I have never ever experienced such an unfriendly and hostile staff on an airplane. Needless to say it's the last time I fly Ryanair.
PP
on June 28, 2006 12:26 AM | Reply
I thought the Dispatches programme was very poor indeed. Trying to show that flight crew were over worked by showing flight attendents snatching sleep during a flight was pathetic. The immediate questions that came to my mind were; what time had they left the bar the previous night and/or what time had they hit the sack?
As for comments here about Easyjet, I would say that they are not a low fare airline and in my experience they seem to have trouble with time keepimg. I don't think I have ever had a late arrival with Ryanair.
Michael Collins
on August 17, 2006 2:32 PM | Reply
"EasyJet has a problem with timekeeping." You don't say! EasyJet kept me waiting three and a half hours for my flight from Stanted to Newcastle. When we finally boarded, half of the passengers from the next NCL flight boarded as well (Passport/Boarding pass checks?), and we wasted another half hour trying to sort out who should be on the plane and who shouldn't. All my Ryanair flights have been on time.
Michael Salter
on January 16, 2007 12:50 PM | Reply
I hope one day that Ryanair goes belly up and would be smugly gratified if a very serious incident took place or their planes started dropping out of the sky even though I in no way wish that harm comes to any person or condone this. It's just that I have complete disgust for this airline, it's staff and its moron psycopath CEO O'Leary.
However, I would like to suggest that flying starts becoming a luxury once more and something that should not be available to all. The huge global increase in airline fleets for the most part due to the emergence of low-cost carriers has accentuated the negative effects of climate change beyond control. Taxes should be increased across the board not only on legacy carriers but also throughout the "low-cost" industry. People should be made to pay - the environment cannot support any more aircraft.
Furthermore, the emergence of so many "low cost" carriers which are not incidentally all "low fare", is having a huge negative impact on the environment -so hefty taxes should be implemented. Isn't it time that low-cost expansion was thwarted rather than them springing up like mushrooms. There is really no need to fly from Girona to Nykoping for example for 1 euro, nor is there any need to fly from Hong Kong to London for 20 euro. People have really lost it. Aviation should once again become civilised and so it should remain so.
Also more true representation of Ryanair staff and passengers would help to start a major war against this most unethical of companies and put it out of business once and for all. Hope that one day Ryanair is going to be killed rather than have to be liked.
Victor, Athens-Greece