How to make Ryanair the largest airline in the world

Compare that to the United States, where onboard Wi-Fi is now ubiquitous and has become a useful additional revenue stream for companies like Spirit Airlines and Southwest. Budget airline JetBlue even offers free Internet, provided passengers are willing to watch ads from some of its partners.

A loyalty program

As a self-confessed Avios enthusiast, I’ve learned to never overlook airline loyalty points, which are almost always worth collecting.

Even though points systems are associated with full-service airlines, there is no reason why low-cost carriers cannot benefit from them. In the US, Southwest has a great loyalty points program, while FlyDubai lets you collect points to spend on Emirates (its parent airline).

A tier points system like BA’s – which offers additional benefits to frequent flyers – would also give customers an extra reason to prioritize Ryanair when they have other options.

Entertainment at headquarters

Certainly, on-board movies are less important in an age when most of us can download them to our devices. But I’m always surprised by how many people I spot on Ryanair flights who end up staring at the security sticker in front of them.

While installing screens would obviously cost money, perhaps it could also make money. FlyDubai charges economy class passengers for access to its entertainment catalogue.

More comfort

Given Ryanair’s attitude to customer comfort, this may seem like wishful thinking, but many low-cost airlines have found a way to pamper passengers willing to pay a little extra.

My favorite example is Singapore’s Scoot, which has a special “quiet cabin” on some of its larger planes. These quieter seats are placed behind a curtain and can only be reserved by passengers over the age of 12 who agree to minimize noise.

Even Ryanair regulars may not know that the airline has a secret extra comfort feature. Passengers who want a little more space can actually pay to reserve an empty seat next to them (just check Ryanair’s “comfort seat” policy).

“The advantage for Ryanair is that they can charge a similar fare to a normal ticket, but it’s more cost effective because they won’t pay government or airport taxes on empty seats,” explains Rob Burgess , editor-in-chief of the travel forum. Head over to Points, which brought this particular travel hack to my attention.

Friendly Announcements

Although Ryanair’s crew are always thoroughly professional, it’s fair to say that the airline doesn’t pride itself on cheerful service. And the less said about this robotic “take orf” ad, the better.

Perhaps Ryanair could take inspiration from the example of Southwest in the United States. The long-running budget airline, which offered low-cost tickets long before Ryanair, is well known for its informal safety announcements, even letting crew make jokes and sing songs.

Sure, it might seem a little embarrassing from the perspective of a buttoned-up Brit, but the many viral videos suggest that many Americans find it a big selling point.