Ok... I have flown both Southwest in USA and Ryanair in UK, usually STN-DUB-STN. Is there anyone here who has flown both carriers willing to offer a comparison besides me?
Although I give higher overall marks to Southwest Airlines (SWA), I have never been displeased with FR. Whereas SWA delivers reliable service with some "pleasantries", FR dispenses with them (the pleasantries) almost entirely and their service is mostly reliable... But what do you expect for under 100 quid?? (or sometimes below £50!!)
The big difference between SWA and FR being that the former has operated in a deregulated airline industry much, much longer than the later. By comparison, the UK is still in the early "wild west" days of deregulation. Of course in time this will all be sorted out... But I am a firm believer that Ryanair will outlive much of the current competition (as Southwest has in the US).
The occasional dissatisfied (and very vocal) customer will not motivate FR to change one bit. In the USA we have a saying that "if you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always got." Translated this means that if FR has been profitable and even thriving in this current deregulated environment, why should they change?? If another low fare carrier (Easy Jet for example) begins to noticeably eat away at Ryanair's profit margins, that will motivate change faster than any public relations gaffes will. At least that is how it has worked in the USA since deregulation in 1978. My 2 cents (pence) worth…
iceland_22