The head of Irish budget airline Ryanair Tuesday defended his plan to charge passengers to use on-board toilets, saying it would lead to "less passenger inconvenience" during flights.
Ryanair Chief Executive Michael O'Leary revealed last month the carrier was looking at the possibility of installing toilet doors in its planes which would only open with the insertion of a one pound coin (1.10 euros, 1.40 dollars).
"In our discussions with (aircraft maker) Boeing they haven't yet been able to manufacture a toilet door that will take coins in it," he told a news conference in Madrid Tuesday.
"But I think it's a logical development, if you use the toilet for example in train stations in England you pay to use the toilets. I don't see any reason why people on board an aircraft wouldn't pay to use the toilet."
He said the on-board charge would mean more passengers would use the toilets at airports, and would lead to "less passenger inconvenience on board the aircraft."
"We will charge for every possible thing we can think to charge for, but it will always be the passengers' choice whether they pay it or don't pay it," he said.
O'Leary said the company is now running an online competition to see what else the carrier can charge for on board.
"The suggestion I like best so far is a passenger in Sweden who has suggested that we should produce rolls of toilet paper with my picture on it."
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I've flown with them on more than a few occassions and generally the flight has been as on time as any other airline, they got me where I wanted to go (roughly!), I could chose to have a cuppa and a tube of Pringles if I wanted and we haven't crashed in a screaming ball of flame. That's pretty much all I want my airline to do when it's a flight of a couple of hours or less.
Couldn't care less if he charges for the toilet personally as try to avoid the whole in flight lavvy experience if I can but if I was desperate I'm sure I'd consider the money well spent.
Try seeing how far £20 gets you on a train...
Alternatively piss all over the aisle!
More proof that the world is going mad and the eco nazi's are winning.
People should simply vote with their wallets/purses and go elsewhere. Ryan air are shit! (biodegradable)
It's not the level of service (or lack of it) or even the feeling you're flying in a plastic plane that grate's me. It's the whole booking susytem where they tell you a flight is £20 and it ends up being £120. Just tell us what it costs FFS! If it's good value you won't get up people's noses so much!
Some say they're easyjets rivals but i reckon Easyjet love then becasue they make Easyjet seem like BA Business class!
I've had no choice but to use them for work on more than one occasion but would seriously consider not going somewhere on holiday if they were the only option, on principle.
Bang on.
Might pay to use the toilet in a station but when was the last time anyone paid to use the toilet actually on a train? Good to see he knows the travel industry so well...
They made a loss n the last quarter:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7864352.stm
Personally I hate Chav Air - but you have to admire O'Leary's ability to get Ryan Air mentioned in the media.
simple really eh
IE This will cost you £120, but you can deduct £5 if you tick online checkin, £7.50 for no hold luggage etc etc.
No problem with them charging for food and drink, its the not knowing how much cost of the flight is going to be thats a pain.
Stick a khazi in your cab Mart... it's the way ahead
Hate Ryanair with a passion and only fly with them as a last, last resort but as the posters above say; it's a free market.
If you don't like them you don't have to fly with them.
To be honest it seems to me that nowadays flying with BA, Lufthansa etc. no more expensive than the so-called budget carriers by the time you factor in all the add-ons
Going to Bratislava with them in June, £60 all in, can't really complain.
Well said that man.
Also most people who fly with Ryanair probably only have a short haul 1-2 hour flight, if you're that fussed about paying a pound, go before you get on the plane.
When driving up North to an away game we usually have a no stopping policy (except when curb-it is in the car), otherwise we end up stopping everywhere. So I am sure that my bladder can take a couple of hours in the air............
sorry off topic but 1905 theres a few pictures of you and your mob in the bugle i noticed the other night - did you know that? group pictures from yesteryear when you drunk up there pre match
Ryanair
The last bit shows just what f*ckers they are.
"According to the Money Box report, the UK Cards Association estimates for credit cards, banks charge airlines between 1.5% to 2.5% of a payment in transaction fees.
It believes it is significantly less than £1 to process a debit card transaction.
That means a family of four on a return journey paying on one debit card should pay about 30p, if they were just covering the airline's costs, but would be charged £40 by Ryanair."
Just give a bottom line price end of.
They don't though because they are not as competitive as they like to pretend from my (admittedly not very extensive) experience.
http://www.fairfx.com/cardselection
Got myself a visa electron card by opening up a halifax account. will get one of those cards now. still cost you 1.5% for transactions on it though.