As air travelers in America continue to bemoan the perceived horrid state of air travel, it appears as if there may be one reason for us to be counting our blessing yet. Last week, the Irish Times reported that European low-cost carrier Ryanair plans to move forward with a planned charge for using the onboard lavatory. While the announcement is sure to create shock and perhaps outrage on both sides of the pond, consumers may want to think twice about the implications of this charge.
Ryanair is well-known for its plethora of fees, unapologetic CEO, at-times abysmal customer service, and completely bare-bones service. However the planned lavatory fees have been seen as an especially disrespectful affront to passengers. The airline plans to charge €1/£1 for bathroom use, and it plans to remove all but one lavatory on each plane to make room for six additional seats.
While there may be instant disgust at a charge for something considered a basic human need, passengers should consider the fact that Ryanair operates a network in Europe, where most flights are a couple of hours or less. Ultimately, passengers can easily plan to use the restroom in the departure airport before the flight leaves, and should be able to comfortably enjoy the ride with no need to go. Of course, Ryanair should make some sort of accommodation for customers who suffer from medical problems that may complicate matters.
Given this consideration, the benefits to consumers are considerable – Ryanair says the fee will allow it to reduce fares by 5%. This savings is considerable, and eliminates a sort of subsidy that passengers who don’t use the bathroom pay for those who do. Furthermore, for those who are seriously disgusted by the fee, there is always the option to fly another airline. Given a robust number of choices for air travel in Europe, if Ryanair is going too far with these fees, it will know right away due to its decreased bookings.
If this great experiment does end up working, American passengers may seriously worry about these fees coming to the U.S. It is doubtful whether such charges would be instituted on longer flights. Furthermore, Americans are unaccustomed to paying for bathroom use (a common occurrence in Europe), so there is a chance that airlines would never dare to institute such fees. Even so, having a bathroom charge could have the same effect that I suspect baggage fees have – lower fares.
When it comes to revenues, there may be only one consequence that Ryanair has not considered – who is going to pay for a beer if he/she has to pay to pee?
Every week we bring you in-depth interviews with leading thinkers and entrepreneurs from the world of technology. The most recent episode features 