Is it just me or MoL contradicts himself? Below is a part from recent interview:
FLUG REVUE: Why have the low-fare airlines been following such a different pattern in Europe and America? The Americans, for example JetBlue, have live TV. And Frontier has big kitchens so that they can serve fresh coffee.
O'Leary: The only reason I can think of is stupidity. There is only one authentic low-cost airline in the USA, and that is Southwest. And only one in Europe, and that is Ryanair. JetBlue may sell cheap tickets, but its profitability is falling back again, as you can see if you look at its business figures.
FLUG REVUE: But JetBlue says it can sell more expensive tickets than the bigger airlines because on a long transcontinental flight people are happy just watching TV.
O'Leary: If live TV and in-flight entertainment were so important, then Southwest would not be around any more. It competes with Continental light and United Express, though not over in-flight entertainment but over price. No passenger has ever paid more in order to get in-flight entertainment. 99 percent of passengers just want the cheapest fare. And that's what they get.