[jimworcs]

There have been some interesting developments at Ryanair, pioneers of the "f**k you" attitude towards customers, now copied by Spirit, Alleghany and Frontier. The two largest low cost airlines in Europe are Easyjet and Ryanair. They have taken significantly different approaches. Easyjet have moved to a higher standard of service, offering greater ticket flexibility and a less hostile attitude to customers, whereas Ryanair have taken a very hostile approach to customers, with their CEO describing their customers as stupid and imposing charges which are tantamount to gouging. For example, the charge for losing or being unable to print your boarding pass is £70 ($115).

Anyway, Ryanair have announced that their attitude to customers may have been a mistake and that they have gone too far in unnecessarily "pissing off" customers. (That is a quote from the CEO). See the link here...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/mar...assengers.html

Are we perhaps reaching the ceiling? Their growth has been phenomenal and they are highly profitable. But their growth was predominantly new travellers who otherwise could not have travelled. Now they need to grow by winning business from other airlines, and that is a much harder proposition when they fly to airports miles from the city they serve and they continue to treat their customers like crap.

Incidently, a new study by Which also reveals the extent the price gap between airlines. Ryanair claims to be "ultra low cost". Their average fare, taking into account all charges is £70 ($115). The average cost of an Easyjet flight including all charges is £76 ($123). I would always choose to pay Easyjet then suffer the indignity of travelling on the "greyhound" of the skies...Ryanair.

[jimworcs]

It would be interesting to see a similar comparison of average fares, including fees, to see if Spirit really do represent value for money