The only has to be one winner in this, or?
First EZY discovered they could win over more customers by offering more and better service, closing the gap to the legacy carriers.
Then RYR discovered their rotten treatment of customers was actually moving them backwards, so they now try some late chance gimmicks with seating and x-tra small carry on bag, to try to get some positive publicity.
Recently I took a flight with with NAS, early morning flight from LGW, first there was no rush and stand 1.5 hours waiting for boarding. Boarding announcement, everybody walked to their allocated seating. I would say the boarding was faster then the free for all you see at some RyR flights.
As I was with my daughter, we was both tired, we took of dimmed down lights, and during cruise, guess what, not those bright full on cabin lights, to make you have the most possible unpleasant experience, the lights was dimmed down, so if you wanted to relax / sleep, you could do this.
With the other LoCo's, as soon as they go into cruise, it's full lights on, announcements about one thing after the other, it does your head in. I actually bring ear-plugs and sun glasses in, so I can stay in
peace.
Because the way they treat me, I am less likely to want to purchase anything, because these companies make me the passenger annoyed. With NAS, I felt respected and I did purchase some things for breakfast for my daughter and me.
RyR a little late are discovering what they have been doing have been upsetting customers, however have had little or no competition on their routes.
People / customers, are willing to pay a little more, to have these extra services and comfort. Not talking about legacy prices, but within reasonable range of say example RyR.
Also it does depend on what level profit margin the companies settles for, of course you can do like some companies do, squeeze the maximum from customers, employees and services, to make the maximum profit in shortest possible time, or are you in it for the long term.
Let's make another point clear, what happens the day government wakes up and discovers how LoCo's like Ryanair have been avoiding their social responsibilities for their employees and contractors.
Will RyR have enough capital to have to back pay for this? The social dumping model, that these corporations are dealing with is very dangerous and fragile, and there is no doubt that this is heading towards a brick wall.
I know NAS have a very different approach to this, maybe not perfect world either, but definitely much more tidy than all the other LoCo's in Europe.
The fact is that the difference between example NAS and SAS is much less now, SAS standards gone down, NAS gone up, and it seems NAS is targeting a market where people appreciate quality in addition to good value for money.
EZY have themselves discovered that this is the only way forward, and RYR are waking up, but what the future will bring for these companies depends on what the customers want.
The current trend is that customers are not happy with RYR, and believe me after flying with NAS, you would never return to RYR unless you had no other options.
In addition if you can treat your staff good, I guess NAS is probably the closest any European LoCo has come to the original of Southwest.
Personally I would not classify NAS as a LoCost company.