Posted on 02/28/2009 4:17:40 PM PST by Paleo Conservative
Irish budget airline Ryanairs' pay-to-pee proposal has potential passengers crossing their legs and shaking their heads in disbelief.
Chief executive Michael O'Leary told the BBC the Dublin-based carrier was looking at maybe installing a "coin slot on the toilet door" on board its aircraft. ''People might actually have to spend a pound (about 52 baht) to spend a penny in future," he replied while being asked about the carrier's recent plan to do away with passenger check-in counters.
A BBC anchor wondered what the airline would do if a passenger boarded a flight without cash and then needed to use the bathroom? Mr O'Leary didn’t seem concerned, saying: "I don't think there is anybody in history that has got on board a Ryanair aircraft with less than a pound." Ryanair is already notorious for stripping away all but the most basic of passenger services, but his latest proposal is really stirring up controversy. The Times of London writes Ryanair pilots are "aghast" at the idea and one pilot even wondered how many toilet tokens the pilots would get from their employer on flights they work.
According to an official at Britain's Civil Aviation Authority:"There is no legal requirement for an aircraft to have a toilet onboard, so if an airline does have a toilet they can charge to use it."
One travel industry observer wondered if the move might backfire. "Once again, Ryanair is putting profit before the comfort of its customers," said Rochelle Turner, head of research at Which? Holiday.
''Charging people to go to the toilet might result in fewer people buying overpriced drinks on board, though -- that would serve Ryanair right," she added. Ryanair's PR chief Steven McNamara later played down the idea, saying: "I don't think it's going to happen in the foreseeable future".
"Maybe O'Leary was just taking the p*ss this morning," he said.
"Michael makes a lot of this stuff up as he goes along and while this has been discussed internally there are no immediate plans to introduce it.'' He added: "Will it happen long-term, I'm not really sure,it's one of those things that when Michael starts looking at something, you know, it's always up for discussion."
Why? Isn’t it a smart way to run a low cost airline? Also, a great way for competitors to show value while doing nothing at all?
“Fly Southwest, we have bathrooms!”
Airlines can get mileage out of this in their ads:
“Fly us - you can use our bathrooms for free!”
Someone should explain to RyanAir the old proverb "penny wise and pound foolish."
Ryanair could get that crazy lady who drove from Texas in a Depends to do their new commercial advertising!
well if he really wants to make some money-on long flights he’ll give out free beer, and then charge $4 to use the head. (As Archie Bunker once said, “you know the problem with beer is you can’t really buy it you can only rent it”)
I might tend to “miss” when I have to pay if you know what I mean.
They should implement what economists call “inverse-elasticity” pricing or “Ramsey pricing”, in which you charge more to those who really need (and thus value) the service. So, if your back teeth were floating, for example, you’d pay more than a passenger who was merely in doubt as to whether they could make it to the terminal after landing.
bump
Depends..
“Open the bomb bay doors!”
Oh!
At first I thought that Nolan Ryan had started
an Airline Company!
:)
Doesn’t surprise me a bit!
I flew Ryanair from Norway to Scotland a few years back. It was cheap, fast and quite possible the most interesting flight I have ever flown.
The seat I sat in had bottomed out; the tray was busted and *everything* had a thin layer of dirt over it. I got a kick out watching the dodgey Scots loading up on their duty free smokes and liquor. Hilarious.
Anyone know if they are flying out of the U.S. yet?
-Roscommon
A cat crapper is very, very selective where the deposit is made and covered.
A dog crapper deposits anywhere.
We need more dog crappers in this world, particularly on RyanAir.
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