I think whats happening is that while the `travelling public` is diminishing due to recession, the ones that are left are becoming a bit more wise. The good old O`Leary `kick em while they are down` worked fine as long as he could offer cheap fares, oil circa $50. He was a cheeky chappie and got away with it.
That attitude, has a course that runs out, and so it has proved. His fares are not that cheap, oil $100 a barrel, so must compete on better service provision......aah problem there. His biggest competitor, on the other hand, is busy doing just that and is trying to be seen as a sort of `De Facto` legacy carrier in how it treats its passengers. That too is beginning to work. In the end it will come down to how passengers perceive that they are being treated.
Quick example..this summer printed off my boarding cards at 10pm before a 7am flight.Printer throws one and puts ink all over the cards. No spares cant fix. Easyjet simply printed some new ones off at the airport, completely free of charge and done with a smile. Thats the sort of lesson Ryanair needs to learn.
