Ryanair: Coming to America?

Savvy air travelers might be thinking: “Oh, no.” So to alleviate any fears the often-reviled, Irish-based carrier is really coming here, no such announcement has been made (though stranger things have happened).

But might its latest often-deplored  policy encourage other fee-conscious airlines to do the same?

“You’re probably thinking…it’s highly unlikely I’ll ever fly Ryanair,” notes the newspaper Calgary Herald of Ryanair’s latest credit card scheme. “Scary thing is that these trail-blazing ways of adding to a company’s bottom line have a way of becoming standard practices.”

“Which US airline will be first to copy Ryanair's new fee if you don't buy with their credit card? asks a blogger on Airfarewatchdog.com.

Ryanair’s fee-grabbing nature has already repeatedly influenced other airlines.

They came up with the idea of charging more for excess baggage and fees for choosing seats ahead of time.

The no-frills airline recently announced another extra to its already long list.

Starting Nov. 1, it will charge passengers an extra 6 pounds (US$9.50) if they book with anything else but the airlines own Ryanair Cash Passport. That could add another $40 to a family of four taking a holiday.

Previously, customers had been able to avoid a £6-per-flight fee by paying with any prepaid Mastercard. But as of Nov. 1, the only way to skirt the fee will be by signing up to Ryanair's own Prepaid Mastercard  —  all other cards will be charged.

Prepaid cards will have to be loaded in advance and, while Ryanair says there will be "no transaction charges for using the card at UK merchants until 31st March 2012," customers will then reportedly face a transaction fee for any non-Ryanair purchases.

 “Only we deliver the lowest air fares and no fuel surcharges,” says a spokesman. “Passengers should make the switch to take advantage of this no-fee offer.”

Fee pioneer Ryanair in the past:

• Started add-on fees for checking excess luggage above 15 kilograms, while most airlines allow 25 kilograms; there’s a $27 fee for that.
• Priority boarding: $4.
• If customers don’t check in online, as required, they pay a ticket reprint fee of more than $50.
• And if someone makes a typo in a passenger’s name for whatever reason, customers pay a ticket reprint fee up to $200, according to the Calvary Herald.

“Only two decades ago, flying was one of life’s great treats,” writes frequent travel commentator Alan Colville in a blog called “Flyers Beware: Real Cost of Flying Ryanair.” He says Ryanair’s portrayal of itself as the least expensive airline is “trickery” because of all the add-ons it imposes.

 “What would the Wright Brothers think of their life’s work?” he laments.

Ryanair, apparently sensitive to recent criticism, has released an online guide revealing what it calls “secrets” of how to avoid all its optional fees.

“How Do I Avoid Paying Optional Fees?” urges passengers to avoid bringing checked in bags, urges them to check-in online to avoid boarding card reissue penalties, and complete their booking with MasterCard Prepaid to avoid administration fees.

“We are the only airline to have a detailed fees table easily accessible on our home page and now we have also produced a free guide to avoiding these optional fees – to ensure that all Ryanair passengers know how to avoid them,” said Ryanair’s Stephen McNamara.

Keep in mind that it was only last year that Ryanair’s CEO Michael O’Leary floated the idea of standing passengers, presumably because more passengers could be crammed into an airplane.  He also came up with the notion of charging customers a Euro or two for using the bathroom.

So what could be next?

Almost anything, is the only answer.

By David Wilkening