Ryanair charge £4 a litre for tap water
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Ryanair charge £4 a litre for tap water
From today's Daily Mail: (OK, OK I don't buy it and I don't read it)
WITH NO-FRILLS FARES ADVERTISED AS LOW AS 99P, RYANAIR HAS MADE A FORTUNE OUT OF OFFERING PASSENGERS A CHEAP DEAL.
But when the drinks trolley rattles down the aisle there is little chance of a bargain - but every chance the airline will make more of a profit.
The airline's special brand of bottled water comes at a price that would make anyone gulp - nearly £4 a litre.
But the water hasn't come from a pure mountain stream or highland spring - it is nothing more than tap water.
The same product is pumped into thousands of homes by Thames Water at a cost to consumers of just 0.06p per litre.
The only difference is the sparkling version has been carbonated at a water treatment works in Beckton, East London, before it is bottled and labelled.
The revelation is another blow to Ryanair's reputation after the airline was fined this month for misleading customers with cheap flight offers.
It echoes Coca-Cola's failed 'pure' water product, Dasani, launched a year ago. It was also nothing more than tap water supplied by Thames Water.
Ryanair's Blue Rock water, which costs £1.85 for a 500ml bottle, is supplied by Britvic Soft Drinks which provides the airline with a range of products.
While the label does not claim to be genuine spring water, neither does it make it clear that it is tap water.
Britvic, which also makes Pepsi and Tango, last night denied Blue Rock, made exclusively for Ryanair, could mislead passengers.
It claimed the brand was about to be replaced by a new product called Pennine Spring, sourced from a natural spring in Huddersfield.
'We provided Ryanair with a product to their specifications,' a spokesman said. 'The label does not claim to be anything other than what it is and it is up to Ryanair how much they charge.
'The water was part of a wider package of soft drinks. A few years ago, Ryanair said they wanted the deal to include bottled water and as we did not then have a water brand on our portfolio we launched the Blue Rock brand. The water is processed at a plant in London.
'Last November we acquired a company supplying natural spring water and this is what Ryanair will be getting from now on.'
Dublin-based Ryanair, which made profits of nearly £24m in the quarter to last December, referred all inquiries about its water to Britvic. Earlier this month the airline was fined £24,000 after being found guilty of six breaches of the Consumer Protection Act.
Its website advertised bargain fares as low as £2.99, only to hit those who bought them with a series of hidden charges.
Customers were not warned about extra costs including taxes and fees for booking with credit cards that could add up to more than £30.
WITH NO-FRILLS FARES ADVERTISED AS LOW AS 99P, RYANAIR HAS MADE A FORTUNE OUT OF OFFERING PASSENGERS A CHEAP DEAL.
But when the drinks trolley rattles down the aisle there is little chance of a bargain - but every chance the airline will make more of a profit.
The airline's special brand of bottled water comes at a price that would make anyone gulp - nearly £4 a litre.
But the water hasn't come from a pure mountain stream or highland spring - it is nothing more than tap water.
The same product is pumped into thousands of homes by Thames Water at a cost to consumers of just 0.06p per litre.
The only difference is the sparkling version has been carbonated at a water treatment works in Beckton, East London, before it is bottled and labelled.
The revelation is another blow to Ryanair's reputation after the airline was fined this month for misleading customers with cheap flight offers.
It echoes Coca-Cola's failed 'pure' water product, Dasani, launched a year ago. It was also nothing more than tap water supplied by Thames Water.
Ryanair's Blue Rock water, which costs £1.85 for a 500ml bottle, is supplied by Britvic Soft Drinks which provides the airline with a range of products.
While the label does not claim to be genuine spring water, neither does it make it clear that it is tap water.
Britvic, which also makes Pepsi and Tango, last night denied Blue Rock, made exclusively for Ryanair, could mislead passengers.
It claimed the brand was about to be replaced by a new product called Pennine Spring, sourced from a natural spring in Huddersfield.
'We provided Ryanair with a product to their specifications,' a spokesman said. 'The label does not claim to be anything other than what it is and it is up to Ryanair how much they charge.
'The water was part of a wider package of soft drinks. A few years ago, Ryanair said they wanted the deal to include bottled water and as we did not then have a water brand on our portfolio we launched the Blue Rock brand. The water is processed at a plant in London.
'Last November we acquired a company supplying natural spring water and this is what Ryanair will be getting from now on.'
Dublin-based Ryanair, which made profits of nearly £24m in the quarter to last December, referred all inquiries about its water to Britvic. Earlier this month the airline was fined £24,000 after being found guilty of six breaches of the Consumer Protection Act.
Its website advertised bargain fares as low as £2.99, only to hit those who bought them with a series of hidden charges.
Customers were not warned about extra costs including taxes and fees for booking with credit cards that could add up to more than £30.
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East London water is amongst the most repulsive available in the country. I know, I live about 3 miles away. Of course, it's not far from STN either so the transport costs shouldn't be too great.
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As long as you don't go buying one of their scratch cards like idiot here. 
Anyway I never pay for water, whoever thought of bottling water & selling it in our well watered northern climes could sell sand to the Arabs & was one cute hoor of a salesman if you ask me.
Anyway I never pay for water, whoever thought of bottling water & selling it in our well watered northern climes could sell sand to the Arabs & was one cute hoor of a salesman if you ask me.
Paxing All Over The World
The revelation is another blow to Ryanair's reputation
You can bring bottled water on board to drink or you can choose to pay for it. If this brings down the cost of air tickets, by spreading the costs, then I reckon that a considerable majority of FR's customers want it that way. Yet more free publicity for FR.
Yikes! I just removed blame from FR. 
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For once, PaxBoy, I will defend Ryanair too!
Nobody is forced to buy a bottle of water - you are quite at liberty to say "No, Thank You!"
Where has this craze for bottled water come from? I think it's from the advice to have a bottle with you if you're going to take "Ecstacy" and it's caught on!!!
There's nothing wrong, either, with taking your own drinks (as long as you don't use a container which leaks when the cabin pressure builds!!!)
Nobody is forced to buy a bottle of water - you are quite at liberty to say "No, Thank You!"
Where has this craze for bottled water come from? I think it's from the advice to have a bottle with you if you're going to take "Ecstacy" and it's caught on!!!
There's nothing wrong, either, with taking your own drinks (as long as you don't use a container which leaks when the cabin pressure builds!!!)
Last edited by bealine; 31st Mar 2005 at 17:27.
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They say that London tap water has already been drunk 13 times before it comes out of our pipes.
However, having been drinking it for over half a century, I reckon it's still pretty good, at the price!
My old Dad called it 'Adam's Ale', the best drink in the world!
It was only Watney's who knew how to ruin it - remember Red Barrel?
Cheers,
TheOddOne
However, having been drinking it for over half a century, I reckon it's still pretty good, at the price!
My old Dad called it 'Adam's Ale', the best drink in the world!
It was only Watney's who knew how to ruin it - remember Red Barrel?
Cheers,
TheOddOne
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Not sure how much a litre I pay for tap water on flights, but I fill a bottle up from the tap at home and put it in a pocket on my laptop backpack (another good reason to take the laptop in a backpack and not a shiney briefcase). Simple really.
If it gets empty I can fill it up again at the drinking fountain in the airport - and I don't have to pay for that at all (but don't tell Ryan air, or they might start charging).
If it gets empty I can fill it up again at the drinking fountain in the airport - and I don't have to pay for that at all (but don't tell Ryan air, or they might start charging).
