R yanair announced that fees for checking baggage have been cut by up to 50 percent for 92 percent of its customers while simultaneously simplifying the number of bag fee options — a reduction from 108 different baggage fees to a mere six — as part of the third year of its “Always Getting Better” programme.
Ryanair Slashes Bag Fees for Most of Its Customers. Yes, THAT Ryanair.
Effective immediately, the following fees will be charged for checked baggage:
| Flight | Percentage of Customers | 15 Kilogram Baggage Fees | 20 Kilogram Baggage Fees |
| Domestic Flights less than two hours |
18 percent | Was €30.00 Now €15.00 Saving 50 percent |
Was €40.00 Now €25.00 Saving 38 percent |
| Flights less than three hours |
74 percent | Was €30.00 Now €25.00 Saving 17 percent |
Was €40.00 Now €35.00 Saving 13 percent |
| Flights greater than three hours |
8 percent | €40.00 No Fee Change |
€50.00 No Fee Change |
“Furthermore, customers will also be able to add bags to their bookings via the Ryanair app up to 3 hours before their scheduled time of departure”, according to Kenny Jacobs, who is the chief marketing officer of Ryanair. “These bag changes are in addition to our best-in-class cabin bag allowance, offering 2 free carry-on bags, and we’ll continue to offer the biggest and best choice of destinations, with the most on-time flights and a fantastic onboard experience, as we grow our fleet, traffic and routes – and all on the lowest fares.”
Ryanair to Address Customer Service Issues
Back in January of 2014, Ryanair — an airline not exactly known for having the best customer service in commercial aviation with customer-unfriendly policies and statements such as eliminating waivers and adding surcharges; removing sanitary bags from the fleet of aircraft; contemplating standing room only for passengers; charging a fee for boarding passes; considering charging a fee to use the lavatory; proposing the elimination of seat belts; suggesting that co-pilots are unnecessary; and fees simply for the privilege of booking a flight — apparently had to be pushed hard enough to be voted the worst company in the United Kingdom by a consumer magazine in order for its chief executive officer to have a change of heart and admit that its customer service needs to improve.
Michael O’Leary — known for his outrageous comments and his quest to squeeze every last penny out of customers of Ryanair by any means possible — vowed for the first time to transform the culture of Ryanair as one way to address customer service issues moving forward by eliminating things which irritate customers. For example, he pledges to be more lenient on levying punitive fees on customers with oversized baggage.
Passengers have been known to revolt against Ryanair. In one case back in November of 2010, furious French passengers expecting to arrive home in Paris from Morocco staged a protest for four hours aboard an airplane operated by Ryanair in a dark cabin with no water and locked lavatories after their flight was diverted to Belgium, apparently as a result of weather conditions and a three-hour delay — and Ryanair crew members simply left the aircraft in response, reportedly leaving the angry passengers alone to fend for themselves…
…and French passengers were furious again as recently as earlier this week when they revolted against the flight crew as a result of being faced with a delay of up to 24 hours after an aircraft operated by Ryanair on a flight from Morocco to Paris was forced to land in Madrid following a report of one of the 170 passengers becoming ill.
Summary
I have flown as a passenger on two flights operated by Ryanair — one flight from Budapest to Dublin; and one flight from Dublin to Madrid — during the first year of the “Always Getting Better” initiative in which Ryanair continues to improve the customer experience, through service, digital and inflight developments; and while it will never be confused with luxury, I must say that my experience was generally fine.
After learning of all of the negative reviews pertaining to experiences with Ryanair — combined with the flamboyance of its chief executive officer — it was easy to be skeptical when the “Always Getting Better” initiative was first announced…
…but for Ryanair to cut baggage fees — revenue from ancillary fees is on what Ryanair generally thrives — perhaps there really is a gentler and kinder Ryanair in the future to offer a friendlier and improved flight experience to its customers…
…while Ryanair quite possibly will enjoy greater revenues — and profits.
Photograph ©2014 by Brian Cohen.
