Originally Posted by
Vim Fuego
Out of curiosity, why isn't Ryanair a "real airline"?
Because it (consistently) makes money.
And it breaks the rules, which - from a commercial point of view - is fine by me because none of the "real" airlines have yet come up with a service that responds to my needs. As for loyalty? Well, I've just paid my highest price ever for a RA return ticket (50€) because even allowing for the 180km drive to an out-of-the-way airport (no parking charges) it's cheaper than driving to my local railway station, paying for parking and a 3-hour, 350km train-ride to a busy major airport so that I can pay three times the price to fly with a legacy airline and arrive at the same destination four hours later.
For understandable reasons, there is an obsession in the airline industry with SOPs, checklists and diverse regulations, but this obsession carries over into the business side of the operation risk-taking is essential. If EASA and the national agencies exclude risk-takers - as they do with their insistance on "financial criteria" for start-ups, then the established operators will always have the sky to themselves, write their own rules and leave us humble customers with precious little choice.
Whether Ryanair rattles that particular cage by highlighting poor ATC practices, challenging government policy across the EU or telling its pilots to keep fuel carried to a minimum and declare an emergency if things get tight, then good for Michael O'Leary. I can't wait for the day one can buy a 'plane ticket in SuperValu or SuperU.
