Ryanair - 6
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Cork, Ireland
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It was obvious even in 2005 that the nature of the deal with Ryanair would drive the competition out and that's exactly what's happened. That's why Cork and Dublin will not offer a similar deal to Ryanair or any other low cost airline as they know it will simply undermine their existing business and revenue.
Join Date: Apr 2004
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Any more rumours on BHD? Ryanair1 was informing us all a while back they were getting another aircraft for more UK routes, same with BOH.. I guess no one really knows, although they do seem to be favouring expansion outside the UK/IRL at present
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Belfast, UK
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en2r, totally agree,
and hopefully the management at Belfast City wont fall also, to cause a situation similar to SNN. The whole issue of the runway extension to allow FR to operate European routes. (Even though the routes mentioned by MOL to be served are already adequately covered by other airlines ex Northern Ireland).
Airports should see SNN and ORK as examples of FR business, especially those that already have half decent links such as BHD, (and the European routes from BFS).
and hopefully the management at Belfast City wont fall also, to cause a situation similar to SNN. The whole issue of the runway extension to allow FR to operate European routes. (Even though the routes mentioned by MOL to be served are already adequately covered by other airlines ex Northern Ireland).
Airports should see SNN and ORK as examples of FR business, especially those that already have half decent links such as BHD, (and the European routes from BFS).
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Ireland
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Nobody seems to be willing to accept that Shannon was punching above it's weight in terms of routes for quite some time recently. I'd argue that it's still doing so (and I'm quite happy to see this) in terms of destinations served.
All this Cork/Shannon Ryanair analysis in nonsense given that they're both operated by the DAA and not independent entities.
Airports should see SNN and ORK as examples of FR business
Join Date: Apr 2004
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Ryanair and Shannon
It's still a mystery how the DAA allowed Shannon do that deal with Ryanair.
Yields needed to be very low to attract traffic from outside the mid west.
Both Ryanair and Easy Jet came close to negotiating a somewhat less radical deal with Cork in late 2004 but it didn't materialise.
Cork prefered to have a portfolio of airlines rather than allow one dominant carrier emerge and so far they have stuck to that strategy.
Yields needed to be very low to attract traffic from outside the mid west.
Both Ryanair and Easy Jet came close to negotiating a somewhat less radical deal with Cork in late 2004 but it didn't materialise.
Cork prefered to have a portfolio of airlines rather than allow one dominant carrier emerge and so far they have stuck to that strategy.
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Cork, Ireland
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Nobody seems to be willing to accept that Shannon was punching above it's weight in terms of routes for quite some time recently. I'd argue that it's still doing so (and I'm quite happy to see this) in terms of destinations served.
Join Date: Feb 2008
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I cannot believe the winter schedule is slowing going on sale and as of yet the website hasnt been updated with phase two of 100% webcheck. Pax can now book flights in January and pay for airport check in however from October 1st there will be no airport check in desks you must check in online and drop a bag. Complete lack of thought in Dublin about this, and utter chaos on the ground come October!
Join Date: Jul 2006
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Nearly every Ryanair route from Shannon has been either reduced in frequency or axed!
Join Date: Jul 2006
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Not entirely true. The Ryanair cut to SNN passenger numbers won't be so dramatic this coming winter. A lot of routes will simply be operated by the aircrafts of other bases, rather than Shannon based aircraft.
While Shannon is in an area which by virtue of its distance from Dublin depends on aviation for transport..... I'm puzzled as to why people are quite so shocked that routes have been cut.
There are plenty of people from central Europe (e.g. Poland) who are finding the bright lights of Ireland and the UK losing their allure, thus reducing the need for direct flights.
Further, in winter, in-bound tourism to west Ireland is not hugely appealing to many in Europe - it's a bit grim being outside when it's cold and grey.
The business market and the VFR market to the UK should hold up pretty well but I struggle to see the economic rationale for flights from an essentially rural area like SNN, to the USA and all over Europe in the depths of winter. Yes, I know Limerick is close by, but the whole of County Limerick has less than 200,000 people. When the economy takes a tumble, that discretionary trip to a Spanish beach in January seems like one of the easy things people can cut in their spending.
There are plenty of people from central Europe (e.g. Poland) who are finding the bright lights of Ireland and the UK losing their allure, thus reducing the need for direct flights.
Further, in winter, in-bound tourism to west Ireland is not hugely appealing to many in Europe - it's a bit grim being outside when it's cold and grey.
The business market and the VFR market to the UK should hold up pretty well but I struggle to see the economic rationale for flights from an essentially rural area like SNN, to the USA and all over Europe in the depths of winter. Yes, I know Limerick is close by, but the whole of County Limerick has less than 200,000 people. When the economy takes a tumble, that discretionary trip to a Spanish beach in January seems like one of the easy things people can cut in their spending.
Join Date: Jul 2006
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Shannon
FR in SNN has nearly collapsed for the winter '09/10. Faro, Malaga and Tenerife once a week. Krakow, lodz and wroclaw, nantes, carcassone, girona, murcia, alicante, weeze, milan, palma de mallorca and treviso ALL gone.
Maybe anna_list knows exactly how many flights less Shannon will have next winter compared to last winter...
Join Date: May 2005
Location: UK
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Fr @ Snn W09/10
Hi,
Ok, I'll accept your little challenge!
Here are the weekly frequencies from SNN for this winter, with the change from last winter in brackets (all figures are approximate):
ALC 2 (-1)
BIQ, MJV, NTE, PMI, TSF 0 (-) all seasonal
BHX 7 (-)
BRS 7 (-2)
CRL 3 (-)
CCF 0 (-2)
NRN 0 (-2)
EMA 0 (-)
EDI 7 (-)
FAO 2 (-)
GRO 2 (-2)
PIK 4 (-3)
KRK 2 (-2)
LPL 3 (-4)
LCJ 2 (-)
LGW 14 (-)
STN 21 (-4 or -5)
AGP 2 (-2)
MAN 4 (-3)
BGY 0 (-2)
BVA 7 (-2)
TFS 1 (-)
WRO 2 (-2)
SXF 0 (-3)
HHN 0 (-2)
LTN 0 (-4)
NCL 0 (-2)
GDN 0 (-3)
FUE 0 (-1: dropped Jan 09)
TRN 0 (-1) Could go on sale later?
Total W09/10: 92 departures per week, down by about 50 departures per week (about 35%) on last winter.
Compare this to EI's 35 departures per week from BFS for W09/10, or EI's 80-odd departures per week from ORK for W08/09 and it still looks like SNN has a lot of capacity on sale this winter. I wouldn't rule out MOL cutting further at SNN.
Ok, I'll accept your little challenge!
Here are the weekly frequencies from SNN for this winter, with the change from last winter in brackets (all figures are approximate):
ALC 2 (-1)
BIQ, MJV, NTE, PMI, TSF 0 (-) all seasonal
BHX 7 (-)
BRS 7 (-2)
CRL 3 (-)
CCF 0 (-2)
NRN 0 (-2)
EMA 0 (-)
EDI 7 (-)
FAO 2 (-)
GRO 2 (-2)
PIK 4 (-3)
KRK 2 (-2)
LPL 3 (-4)
LCJ 2 (-)
LGW 14 (-)
STN 21 (-4 or -5)
AGP 2 (-2)
MAN 4 (-3)
BGY 0 (-2)
BVA 7 (-2)
TFS 1 (-)
WRO 2 (-2)
SXF 0 (-3)
HHN 0 (-2)
LTN 0 (-4)
NCL 0 (-2)
GDN 0 (-3)
FUE 0 (-1: dropped Jan 09)
TRN 0 (-1) Could go on sale later?
Total W09/10: 92 departures per week, down by about 50 departures per week (about 35%) on last winter.
Compare this to EI's 35 departures per week from BFS for W09/10, or EI's 80-odd departures per week from ORK for W08/09 and it still looks like SNN has a lot of capacity on sale this winter. I wouldn't rule out MOL cutting further at SNN.
Last edited by anna_list; 13th May 2009 at 13:56.
Join Date: Oct 2005
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Passengers vote Ryan air as one of the worlds worse airline
Ryanair pulls plans for fat tax... but shows us that money is all that matters
Ryanair will not implement the controversial idea to impose a 'fat tax', only because it cannot enforce it within the limits of its 25 minute turnaround, nor via its online check-in process.
It seems ludicrous that flyers would offer advice on how the airline could offer a poorer service, but more than 16,000 passengers voted in a Ryanair online poll to find a new way to cream money from customers in additional charges. Wonderfully of course, if the public chooses the charge, it must be okay for Ryanair to impose it. Surely? But then it was doubtful anyone was expecting the idea to charge a fee on extra body weight.
According to the results, 4.6 per cent voted to charge for every waist inch over 45in. (male) and 40in. (female); 3.11 per cent wanted to charge for every point in excess of 40 points on the body mass index; and 2.37 per cent wanted a charge for a second seat if a passenger's waist touches both armrests.
Ryanair's off-kilter Robin Hood mentality of robbing from a minority to give cheap seats to the poor, in this case amounts to little else than playground bullying. Did it really ever think that the way to satisfy its customers would be to embarrass them hideously, telling them the public has voted - they are too fat and will have to pay for the extra seat their rolls of fat bleed on to?
The interesting point here is that customer satisfaction, human decency and plain common sense seem never to have been part of the decision-making process for Ryanair. Nor was it during the airline's contentious suggestion to charge passengers 'a pound to spend to have a penny' - an idea which had the media, the public and trade bodies reeling. Yet while we expected an about-turn to appease the nation, Michael O'Leary dryly said: "All this pious stuff about if you're serving teas and snacks, you can't charge for entering the toilet. All right then.... we'll let you enter free, but you'll have to pay a pound to get back out again."
He told a UK newspaper that the charge would bring an estimated £15m per year and said: "eventually it's going to happen... The problem is Boeing can't come up with a mechanism on the toilet door to take coins. We're suggesting they go back and look at a mechanism where you'd swipe the credit card for a quid on the toilet door. They've gone off to look at that."
It’s doubtful that any aviation fair trade body would support either of these plans. Some have suggested that Ryanair are aware such proposals would never go ahead and that this is simply a publicity stunt to show just how cheap the airline is. It's a pity however, that O'Leary seems unable to recognise the difference between cheap and inexpensive. It seems unlikely that that this kind of cheap publicity will win favour with passengers.
What a joke the airline has become! But the customers of course, aren't laughing. Type 'Ryanair' into Google and there's a 2:3 ratio of Ryanair's own sites compared to the majority number of customer blogs and chatrooms discussing the pitfalls and poor service of the no-frills, no-thought airline. That's a 2:3 majority of bad press.
It's amazing that an airline so blase about its customer's wellbeing could continue to do well in this climate. Most would think that during these times it would have a more strategic fight to haul in the lion's share of a declining market, but if Ryanair's vote was an index of the public, it just goes to show - when a recession hits, all that matters is money.
- Mary-Anne Baldwin, Journalist, Airline Fleet Management
Ryanair will not implement the controversial idea to impose a 'fat tax', only because it cannot enforce it within the limits of its 25 minute turnaround, nor via its online check-in process.
It seems ludicrous that flyers would offer advice on how the airline could offer a poorer service, but more than 16,000 passengers voted in a Ryanair online poll to find a new way to cream money from customers in additional charges. Wonderfully of course, if the public chooses the charge, it must be okay for Ryanair to impose it. Surely? But then it was doubtful anyone was expecting the idea to charge a fee on extra body weight.
According to the results, 4.6 per cent voted to charge for every waist inch over 45in. (male) and 40in. (female); 3.11 per cent wanted to charge for every point in excess of 40 points on the body mass index; and 2.37 per cent wanted a charge for a second seat if a passenger's waist touches both armrests.
Ryanair's off-kilter Robin Hood mentality of robbing from a minority to give cheap seats to the poor, in this case amounts to little else than playground bullying. Did it really ever think that the way to satisfy its customers would be to embarrass them hideously, telling them the public has voted - they are too fat and will have to pay for the extra seat their rolls of fat bleed on to?
The interesting point here is that customer satisfaction, human decency and plain common sense seem never to have been part of the decision-making process for Ryanair. Nor was it during the airline's contentious suggestion to charge passengers 'a pound to spend to have a penny' - an idea which had the media, the public and trade bodies reeling. Yet while we expected an about-turn to appease the nation, Michael O'Leary dryly said: "All this pious stuff about if you're serving teas and snacks, you can't charge for entering the toilet. All right then.... we'll let you enter free, but you'll have to pay a pound to get back out again."
He told a UK newspaper that the charge would bring an estimated £15m per year and said: "eventually it's going to happen... The problem is Boeing can't come up with a mechanism on the toilet door to take coins. We're suggesting they go back and look at a mechanism where you'd swipe the credit card for a quid on the toilet door. They've gone off to look at that."
It’s doubtful that any aviation fair trade body would support either of these plans. Some have suggested that Ryanair are aware such proposals would never go ahead and that this is simply a publicity stunt to show just how cheap the airline is. It's a pity however, that O'Leary seems unable to recognise the difference between cheap and inexpensive. It seems unlikely that that this kind of cheap publicity will win favour with passengers.
What a joke the airline has become! But the customers of course, aren't laughing. Type 'Ryanair' into Google and there's a 2:3 ratio of Ryanair's own sites compared to the majority number of customer blogs and chatrooms discussing the pitfalls and poor service of the no-frills, no-thought airline. That's a 2:3 majority of bad press.
It's amazing that an airline so blase about its customer's wellbeing could continue to do well in this climate. Most would think that during these times it would have a more strategic fight to haul in the lion's share of a declining market, but if Ryanair's vote was an index of the public, it just goes to show - when a recession hits, all that matters is money.
- Mary-Anne Baldwin, Journalist, Airline Fleet Management
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Ireland
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Shannon still punching above its weight??? Where have you been for the past few months? Ryanair pulled 2 aircraft at the start of April and there's at least another one (or 2?) going at the end of October! Nearly every Ryanair route from Shannon has been either reduced in frequency or axed! In terms of longhaul, Shannon to Chicago is widely rumoured to be axed.
I certainly wouldn't imagine Ryanair basing any more than 2-3 aircraft there if it wasn't Ireland. Actually in terms of based aircraft, they don't seem to have been able to make up there minds on how many they'll base there for Winter 09/10 yet if their current schedule is anything to go by (which it isn't I presume!). I'm guessing it'll end up at 3 but there'll be a few time changes required in the mean time.
Join Date: Feb 2005
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It's a pity however, that O'Leary seems unable to recognise the difference between cheap and inexpensive. It seems unlikely that that this kind of cheap publicity will win favour with passengers.
What a joke the airline has become!
What a joke the airline has become!
Moreover, the carrier is still unable to win customers by means of better route planning. Deal-driven flying impairs the optimal network development and leaves many opportunities unused. A vaste potential hidden in the officially or even self-made connecting flights is also completely unharnessed. An example: while so many expatriate Finns live in Spain, FR do not offer even a simple direct flight between the two countries. No deal or something, never mind. Many would fly on its own, e.g. via Bremen. But how can you do it while nobody bothers to make some planning for such passengers? Some thorough planning could facilitate it. By offering, say, three weekly flights TMP-BRE in the morning, three in the evening and daily early PM flights BRE-GRO many self-made connections could be easily created. Would be good for pax, good for the airline (better fleet usage). But, as I said, nobody sees, nobody cares. A pity again.
Last edited by pee; 13th May 2009 at 11:25.
Join Date: Apr 2006
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UK expansion plans for the time-being are being reviewed in light of the economic situation which isn't showing any promising signs of firm or steady recovery.
BOH - extra aircraft will go in 2010 not 2009
BFS - cutbacks by Aer Lingus is tempting us to consider the extra a/c. This is now under review
Other bases - on hold or reducing. BRS will not be expanded. 2 a/c will be grounded this winter there. Other aircraft will be grounded across the UK bases this winter to avoid a complete f*@k up on the bottom line.
All will be well and restored once economy is back to its good ol' self.
BOH - extra aircraft will go in 2010 not 2009
BFS - cutbacks by Aer Lingus is tempting us to consider the extra a/c. This is now under review
Other bases - on hold or reducing. BRS will not be expanded. 2 a/c will be grounded this winter there. Other aircraft will be grounded across the UK bases this winter to avoid a complete f*@k up on the bottom line.
All will be well and restored once economy is back to its good ol' self.
Join Date: Aug 2002
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All will be well and restored once economy is back to its good ol' self.
The truth is that BA is often a better option. BA!!!! That's not supposed to be possible but frequently it is!
Join Date: Feb 2009
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Ryanair :-check-in machines at airports
I copy my recent posting on this subject from TA for your indulgence.
"New check-in machines now installed at Girona airport.
You have to use these machines to check in and print your boarding pass, then go to any Ryanair counter (none are destination specific) to drop off your bags and show passports.
There seems to be 20+ machines and the system does work, however the are no clear signs asking you to use the machines and many passengers were going straight to bag drop and being then sent to the machines and having to then get back in line at the back of the queue.
All new bookings from 19.03.2009 have to use Online Check-In which is available from 15 days up to 4 hours before scheduled departure time but those before 18th March cannot check in on line, unless they have only hand luggage, and therefore have to use the machines such as now installed at Girona.
If used correctly the new system seems to speed up checking in - nothing could have been worse than the old system of 150+ PAX queuing, with the end of the queue out of the entrance doors amongst the guilty smokers outside.
Ryanair are being very strict on luggage weight and even more strict on hand luggage,both on size and weight and you have to put EVERYTHING in your one piece of hand luggage,including magazines,handbag and the food and drink you bought to eat on board.
Although I have not seen hand luggage being weighed air side I think it will be challenged if it will not fit in the "size gauge" and some were stopped at checkin and had to pay to put it through as hold luggage.
There were, as usual, PAX unpacking overweight luggage and redistributing items with some toiletries and suncream going in the litter bins.
Don't people read the rules!"
Incidentally-will these machines become redundant shortly when everyone has to CIOL?
"New check-in machines now installed at Girona airport.
You have to use these machines to check in and print your boarding pass, then go to any Ryanair counter (none are destination specific) to drop off your bags and show passports.
There seems to be 20+ machines and the system does work, however the are no clear signs asking you to use the machines and many passengers were going straight to bag drop and being then sent to the machines and having to then get back in line at the back of the queue.
All new bookings from 19.03.2009 have to use Online Check-In which is available from 15 days up to 4 hours before scheduled departure time but those before 18th March cannot check in on line, unless they have only hand luggage, and therefore have to use the machines such as now installed at Girona.
If used correctly the new system seems to speed up checking in - nothing could have been worse than the old system of 150+ PAX queuing, with the end of the queue out of the entrance doors amongst the guilty smokers outside.
Ryanair are being very strict on luggage weight and even more strict on hand luggage,both on size and weight and you have to put EVERYTHING in your one piece of hand luggage,including magazines,handbag and the food and drink you bought to eat on board.
Although I have not seen hand luggage being weighed air side I think it will be challenged if it will not fit in the "size gauge" and some were stopped at checkin and had to pay to put it through as hold luggage.
There were, as usual, PAX unpacking overweight luggage and redistributing items with some toiletries and suncream going in the litter bins.
Don't people read the rules!"
Incidentally-will these machines become redundant shortly when everyone has to CIOL?
Join Date: Jun 2008
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This heading is in the Daily Mail to be published tomorrow.
I cannot think of anything more likely to infuriate passengers than a rip off like this one.
From May 29th you will have to pay them a £5 booking fee for each flight the DM says. If you forget your ticket you will have to pay £40 for a boarding pass re-issue. That is plainly outrageous. They sack dozens and dozens of check-in staff, make massive savings paying BAA and others too - THEN have the temerity to charge a £5 booking fee to each passenger to do their work for them.
Let us get this straight now. I want a flight and I have to use my computer to print a ticket and pay them for the privilege. Not me mates. Instead of a trip to PIK I'll go direct to GLA where I want to go anyway.
It will do FR well to read what people are saying about their continuing exercises of taking passengers to the cleaners. They simply will not fly with them.
They do have some idiotic schemes emanating from the backsides of some of the seniors at FR. Time will tell.
Ryanair scraps check-in desks as it charges passengers £10 to print tickets at home (and a £40 fine if you forget)
From May 29th you will have to pay them a £5 booking fee for each flight the DM says. If you forget your ticket you will have to pay £40 for a boarding pass re-issue. That is plainly outrageous. They sack dozens and dozens of check-in staff, make massive savings paying BAA and others too - THEN have the temerity to charge a £5 booking fee to each passenger to do their work for them.
Let us get this straight now. I want a flight and I have to use my computer to print a ticket and pay them for the privilege. Not me mates. Instead of a trip to PIK I'll go direct to GLA where I want to go anyway.
It will do FR well to read what people are saying about their continuing exercises of taking passengers to the cleaners. They simply will not fly with them.
They do have some idiotic schemes emanating from the backsides of some of the seniors at FR. Time will tell.