NationStates Jolt Archive

When airlines first started charging for extras - checked luggage, assigned seats, pillows, and basic unimportant things like food and drink - I remember some jokey commentary along the lines of "what next? Charging people to use the toilets?"

Be careful what you wish for.....

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7914542.stm


Ryanair mulls charge for toilets

Michael O'Leary: 'People might have to spend a pound to spend a penny'

Irish budget airline Ryanair has said it is considering charging passengers for using the toilet while flying.

Chief executive Michael O'Leary told the BBC that the Dublin-based carrier was looking at maybe installing a "coin slot on the toilet door".

Consumer group Which? said the airline was putting "profit before passengers".

Last week Ryanair confirmed it planned to close all of its airport check-in desks by the end of the year in a bid to reduce the cost of its flights.

'Fast buck'

Ryanair aims to offer low basic ticket prices, and then charge extra for items such as checking in at the airport or for additional luggage.

"One thing we have looked at in the past, and are looking at again, is the possibility of maybe putting a coin slot on the toilet door, so that people might actually have to spend a pound to spend a penny in future," he told the BBC.

He added: "I don't think there is anybody in history that has got on board a Ryanair aircraft with less than a pound."

But Rochelle Turner, head of research at Which? Holiday, said: "It seems Ryanair is prepared to plumb any depth to make a fast buck and, once again, is putting profit before the comfort of its customers.

"Charging people to go to the toilet might result in fewer people buying overpriced drinks on board, though - that would serve Ryanair right."

What next? Charging us for the pressurised air at 8,000 metres / 30,000 feet? Though as someone who lives 10 minutes from Stansted Airport, Ryanair's main UK hub, I can't say I'm entirely surprised. Ryanair are like that.

I do like the last sentence; sort of reminds me of some of the comments about how counterproductive the new advertising on Jolt is.


Anyway, any comments from the frequent flyers here? And what's the longest you've ever managed to fly without using the toilets? I once managed an entire Air Japan flight between Narita and Heathrow - though not entirely by choice.

That's gotta be a breach of some kind of human right or something! Getting people all crammed into an inescapable tin can and then charging for use of the head?! What if a passenger desperately needs to go but doesn't have any change? Can you be any more cruel? Are the cabin crew going to start kicking people up the arse just to add insult to injury?

Give me a dollar or I'll hijack this thread.

so you hold it in for like at most 2 hours because you should of gone at the airport.

its not like this is the first time a toilet has come with a price tag

Anyway, any comments from the frequent flyers here? And what's the longest you've ever managed to fly without using the toilets? I once managed an entire Air Japan flight between Narita and Heathrow - though entirely by choice.

9 hours I think but I can be like a camel so its all good

Give me a dollar or I'll hijack this thread.

:O hes leaking a strange liquid!

That's gotta be a breach of some kind of human right or something!

airplane food.

What if a passenger desperately needs to go but doesn't have any change?

ask the guy next to you/cabin crew if they can change one of your notes?

Yeah I find these low cost airlines who claim that their tickets are cheaper than competitors but then end up charging for almost everything including crap like luggage, drinks, food, and now toilets and then in the end the flight costs about the same if not more.

It is why I fly with the 'normal' airlines where I know that once I have brought the ticket I have unlimited drinks, food, entertainment and decent service.

Give me a dollar or I'll hijack this thread.

Certainly sir.

Here, have one Zimbabwean dollar.

Get 50 billion more, and you might be able to afford to use a Ryanair toilet!



http://yeinjee.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/weird-007-zimbabwe-trillion-dollar.jpg

Solution: bring an empty bottle, when people complain, direct them to the Ryanair management

:D

Solution: bring an empty bottle, when people complain, direct them to the Ryanair management

:D

haha

I second this motion

Certainly sir.

Here, have one Zimbabwean dollar.

Get 50 billion more, and you might be able to afford to use a Ryanair toilet!



http://yeinjee.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/weird-007-zimbabwe-trillion-dollar.jpg

Is that a pile of poop on the bill? That's fitting. ;)

airplane food.

That stuff is food?!

Solution: bring an empty bottle, when people complain, direct them to the Ryanair management

:D

Screw that, the floor in front of the cockpit door will suffice.

just heard on the radio that it was just some guy talking out his arse (how dare OP spread this slander!)

Is that a pile of poop on the bill?

the symbol of Zimbabwe's health and prosperity ;)

That stuff is food?!

why do you think you can sneak alcohol on the plane?

Screw that, the floor in front of the cockpit door will suffice.

Pilots don't make company policy. Bit unfair to target them

just heard on the radio that it was just some guy talking out his arse


'Some guy' is Michael O'Leary, the CEO of Ryanair.

This is a typical O'Leary tactic.

1) Float a new Ryanair charging policy months ahead of its implementation.

2) Gauge reaction.

3) Float policy a second time, with announcement tweaked slightly to take in point 2.

4) Implement policy.


Which is how Ryanair came to be the first airline to allow in-flight mobile phone use for passengers, at the rate of 40 (Euro) cent texts and call fees of €2 to €3 per minute.


Personally, I blame Robert Mugabe.

Pilots don't make company policy. Bit unfair to target them

It would certainly get the point across most effectively.

I was watching the interview and Charlie Stayt asked whether they had ever considered weighing passengers and charging more if they were over-weight. The CEO of Ryanair replied that they hadn't and they never would, he then said they had looked at other methods of reducing the cost to people of flying and gave this as an example (I thought half jokingly). Charlie Stayt immediately leapt on it and said something like "so you are planning to charge people to use the toilet" which was not what had in fact been said.

I was watching the interview and Charlie Stayt asked whether they had ever considered weighing passengers and charging more if they were over-weight. The CEO of Ryanair replied that they hadn't and they never would, he then said they had looked at other methods of reducing the cost to people of flying and gave this as an example (I thought half jokingly). Charlie Stayt immediately leapt on it and said something like "so you are planning to charge people to use the toilet" which was not what had in fact been said.

Since you've actually seen the interview (I've only read the BBC web item), you may be able to add some context.

The BBC quotes O'Leary as saying (emphasis added):


"One thing we have looked at in the past, and are looking at again, is the possibility of maybe putting a coin slot on the toilet door, so that people might actually have to spend a pound to spend a penny in future," he told the BBC.

He added: "I don't think there is anybody in history that has got on board a Ryanair aircraft with less than a pound."

In print, that looks like a fairly conclusive admission that they've seriously looked at it, and don't rule out implementing it again in the future.

My feeling, based on past track record, is that O'Leary is too canny a businessman to come out with this sort of statement unless he was preparing the way for actually putting in that coin slot.

But perhaps the full interview gave a different impression?

Not trying to be snarky there - am genuinely interested in more detail on how it came across live.

Since you've actually seen the interview (I've only read the BBC web item), you may be able to add some context.

The BBC quotes O'Leary as saying (emphasis added):



In print, that looks like a fairly conclusive admission that they've seriously looked at it, and don't rule out implementing it again in the future.

My feeling, based on past track record, is that O'Leary is too canny a businessman to come out with this sort of statement unless he was preparing the way for actually putting in that coin slot.

But perhaps the full interview gave a different impression?

Not trying to be snarky there - am genuinely interested in more detail on how it came across live.

I got the impression they have looked at it seriously, but to me he seemd to be trying to make a point that they tried to look for ways to reduce the basic cost of flying by charging for things that were 'extra'. I think even if he was sounding out the public reaction he will realise that it is not going to be well received.

No change, shit in front of the toilet door.

No change, shit in front of the toilet door.

Poop in a barf bag. Unless they charge for those too. :tongue:

Poop in a barf bag. Unless they charge for those too. :tongue:

Then you could light it on fire and knock on the cockpit door!

Then you could light it on fire and knock on the cockpit door!

It'd be worth the jail time. :)

Then you could light it on fire and knock on the cockpit door!

He can already make a functional Molotov cocktail with a bottle of duty-free vodka, a rag, and a small book of matches.

Not that I'd ever condone that sort of behaviour, mind.

He can already make a functional Molotov cocktail with a bottle of duty-free vodka, a rag, and a small book of matches.

Not that I'd ever condone that sort of behaviour, mind.

Yeah, that's a terrible waste of vodka. Much better to find something else to use.

Screw that, the floor in front of the cockpit door will suffice.

Had that thought, but i think mailing bottles of piss courtesy of ryanair management would get the point across better.

This just in: RyanAir to give free coffee and water on every flight.

There will be soothing waterfall sounds over the PA too.

This just in: RyanAir to give free coffee and water on every flight.

There will be soothing waterfall sounds over the PA too.

That could make for an awesome prank. ;)

I don't understand why people always complain about Ryanair. If you really want to pay hundreds of euros for a simple flight, go ahead. Personally, I love being able to get away for the weekend for the grand total of €0.02 (yes, that includes taxes, credit card fees and what-have-you). Even if I weren't able to hold it for an hour or two, paying a euro to be able to use the toilet would put the total price at €1.02 for a return flight....

Compare that to name-your-favourite-airline, which will be charging 200€ for the same flight! I wouldn't possibly be able to make the 10-15 trips a year I make now...

Certainly sir.

Here, have one Zimbabwean dollar.

Get 50 billion more, and you might be able to afford to use a Ryanair toilet!



http://yeinjee.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/weird-007-zimbabwe-trillion-dollar.jpg

having a pic labled specimen in a thread about toilets... :D

Had that thought, but i think mailing bottles of piss courtesy of ryanair management would get the point across better.

Don't forget to put the pound IN the jar first.