The move is the latest in a series of initiatives aimed at improving Ryanair’s public image, and comes despite Michael O’Leary, the airline’s chief executive, insisting on Twitter during a Q&A session last month that it had no plans to do so. He claimed such a policy might make the boarding process slower, potentially resulting in delays.
It also comes exactly a year after budget rival EasyJet moved to fully allocated seating – a decision which was praised by travellers. Under EasyJet's system, all passengers are allocated a seat number, while those wishing to choose their seats are able to do so for an extra £3. For an additional £12 passengers can reserve seats with extra legroom in the front and or exit rows, and for an extra £8 they can have a seat in the first few rows, meaning they can usually exit the aircraft more quickly.
Other changes announced by Ryanair in recent weeks include:
The introduction of a 24-hour post-booking “grace period”, so passengers can fix minor errors, such as spelling mistakes, free of charge.
On all flights that operate before 8am or after 9pm, public announcements are now restricted to essential safety messages and cabin lights dimmed “so that any customers who wish to snooze, can comfortably do so.”
From November 30, a “cleaner, simpler” homepage and a more “intuitive booking flow” to “help customers easily find the lowest fares” will be launched.
From December 1, passengers will be allowed on board with a second “small” carry-on bag, such as a “small ladies handbag or [a] small airport shopping bag”, and the airline's boarding pass re-issue fee will be cut from £70 to £15.
From January 5, the charge for checking in luggage at the airport will fall from £60 to £30 per bag.
A member service called “My Ryanair”, that allows customers to store their details with the airline, enabling quicker bookings, will be launched in late December, while mobile boarding passes will be introduced in February.
The shift towards better customer service follows a fall in bookings. In September Ryanair warned it would not meet its profit forecast, prompting Mr O'Leary to tell shareholders it should scrap its “macho” image and eliminate things that “unnecessarily p*** people off”.
On Monday it cut its profit forecast for the second time for the year to March to around €510m from €570m.
