I like most aspects of the Ryanair model. You pay for what you want. You want a flight great. You want to check a bag you pay more. Makes sense. You want to check in at a desk. You pay more. You want a drink. You buy it. You want food. You buy it.
Ryanair are not the first airline to push towards online checkin. The cheapest fares with BMI require checkin at a machine.
What I hate about the model is the lack of service. I hate the way they pull flights and leave the passengers high and dry. It is embarrassing but we, as pilots, just fly the planes.
The one thing is Ryanair have lead the downward trend in air fares which is welcome. Lower costs have lead to increased rotations and more jobs for pilots not just in Ryanair but most competing airlines as well.