easyJet and Ryanair in 5 to 10 years?

[AerRyan]

Ryanair will never use 737's of any sort on T/A. To do that, they would want 20-30 free 737's, all its airports to be on the edge lf western europe and for their to be no Atlantic wind. If 757-200's cant make it westbound at times in the winter, imagine 737's!

Imo, Ryanair will buy Norwegian and a few more 787's. If they dont, it may be a few A350's that will tempt them.

[Fairdealfrank]

Five years time? I can see easyJet introducing inflight meals and connecting flights.

And the long term progression from that.....code share with one or more longhaul carriers, especially if U2 ends up at an expanded Heathrow.

[FRatSTN]

Interesting points regarding code-shares, connecting flights or even in-flight meals. Would that not just essentially make EZY a full-service carrier for short-haul? Not an area most do particularly well at! How would they be able to do code-shares, connecting flights etc. and still maintain their low-cost business model? Maybe loyalty schemes or FFPs?

Would say something more along the lines of what FR have touched on recently about acting as a feeder for long-haul flights be more likely? That would not necessarily involve any co-branding, interlining, code-share agreements etc.

[anothertyke]

But wouldn't that involve some sort of insurance for self-connecting passengers? If people are going to buy a £100 ticket to a hub and a £500 ticket to their long haul destination, surely a fair proportion of them will want some sort of cover for the 1 per cent of occasions when something goes wrong after they have done everything correctly. And that needs to include responsibility for getting the customer to destination, putting them in the same position as an on-line or alliance ticket. The exclusions ( volcanic ash.....) would need to be clear.

Could such an insurance market be successfully developed?

[Fairdealfrank]

Interesting points regarding code-shares, connecting flights or even in-flight meals. Would that not just essentially make EZY a full-service carrier for short-haul?

Was suggesting code-shares as a progression only if U2 does go down the road of connecting flights and in-flight meals.

Code shares can also mean feeder flights for longhaul without the risks of self-connect (as mentioned above by anothertyke).

It probably makes U2 a hybrid, but it never stuck as rigidly to the original WN formula as FR. Nothing wrong with this, the more variations and combinations between pure legacy and pure no-frills the better.

Not an area most do particularly well at!

Starting from a lower cost base would help.

How would they be able to do code-shares, connecting flights etc. and still maintain their low-cost business model? Maybe loyalty schemes or FFPs?

Good question! Maybe this would attract a whole new group of pax, as did the changes made to attract business pax.