For several years, Ryanair has talked of selling cheap tickets to passengers willing to stand for the duration of a flight. The BBC News says this marketing idea simply won't fly--and it's just chief executive Michael O'Leary's way of getting media attention for the airline's main marketing message, which is low price.
As recently as yesterday, O'Leary has been talking of super-low standing tickets and pay toilets on Ryanair. Everything costs extra. In fact, Ryanair recently increased the price of checked luggage to 20 pounds per bag.
How low can Ryanair go--and how many extra fees can it add? Low price is undoubtedly an important competitive advantage in today's pressured economic environment. I'm a big fan of clear marketing messages, and Ryanair has one of the clearest in the airline industry. But is the price still low once passengers add up the extras (including the fee for toilets, if this is implemented)?
