Travel News - Ryanair to charge for use of toilets

Ryanair is continuing to increase its ancillary revenues:

Irish budget airline Ryanair has said it is considering charging passengers for using the toilet while flying.

Chief executive Michael O'Leary told the BBC that the Dublin-based carrier was looking at maybe installing a "coin slot on the toilet door".http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7914542.stm

Why anyone continues to fly that airline is truly beyond me.

So as much as this should surprise me, when I got the link in my inbox this morning, the only thing that came to mind was "I can't believe it took them this long to say it". Michael O'Leary, in another example of "There's no such thing as bad attention" has suggested they're thinking about putting a coin slot on the lavatory door of FR planes, potentially at £1 per use.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090227/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_ryanair_toilet_1

Not at all surprised at this one, but it does make me wonder why so many stories in one week. Is this a way of distracting from the "idiot blogger" comment that has so far made it to even the print media? Or are they really just trying to see how many times they can get their name published?

http://news.airwise.com/story/view/1235729305.html

Why I am not surprised that this idea came from Ryanair. This idea, if implemented, may actually flush their future down the toilet.

Ryanair mulls charge for toilets

Irish budget airline Ryanair has said it is considering charging passengers for using the toilet while flying.

Chief executive Michael O'Leary told the BBC that the Dublin-based carrier was looking at maybe installing a "coin slot on the toilet door".

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7914542.stm


:confused:

Irish budget airline Ryanair has said it is considering charging passengers for using the toilet while flying.

Chief executive Michael O'Leary told the BBC that the Dublin-based carrier was looking at maybe installing a "coin slot on the toilet door".


more at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7914542.stm

Freaking hilarious.

So if you don't have the change, do you just pee and poo at your seat? That'll go over well. :D

So when do they start charging for oxygen next?? :-::-:

Absolutely unbelievable!!!! I'll just bring an empty coke bottle on board with me. ;)

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/travel/news/article5814577.ece

Ryanair's chief executive sparked howls of protest today by suggesting his airline is looking into charging passengers £1 to use toilets on its aircraft.

Michael O'Leary said that the carrier has been investigating fitting coin slots to the doors of aircraft toilets, similar to those installed at train stations.

“One thing we have looked at in the past and are looking at again is the possibility of maybe putting a coin slot on the toilet door so that people might actually have to spend a pound to spend a penny in future,” he told BBC Breakfast this morning.

“We are always at Ryanair looking at ways of constantly lowering the cost of air travel to make it affordable and easier for all passengers to fly with us.”


She said the plan could backfire: "Charging people to go to the toilet might result in fewer people buying overpriced drinks on board, though - that would serve Ryanair right."

According to the Civil Aviation Authority, which regulates the industry, Ryanair would not be breaking the law by introducing the charge.

The proposal also sparked an online debate among pilots as to whether crew will also be required to pay to use the toilets. “How many 'tokens' will the crew receive a day? 1 per sector? 1 per day?” “Captplaystation” wrote on the Professional Pilots Rumour Network.

Ryanair already hit the headlines this week by announcing plans to close check-in desks and raise baggage charges.

A spokeswoman for the carrier initially told The Times that the carrier has been investigating a toilet charge. “The situation is that there is no legal requirement for an aircraft to have a toilet onboard, so if an airline does have a toilet they can charge to use it.

“Ryanair is legally able to do this,” she said.

However after the controversy erupted, Mr O’Leary’s team appeared to backtrack.

A statement issued by the Ryanair marketing team shortly after midday said: “Michael makes a lot of this stuff up as he goes along and while this has been discussed internally there are no immediate plans to introduce it.

“Ancillary revenues, all of which are avoidable, help to reduce the cost of flying Ryanair and passengers using train and bus stations are already accustomed to paying to use the toilet so why not on airplanes?

“Not everyone uses the toilet on board one of our flights but those that do could help to reduce airfares for all passengers. Then again, maybe O’Leary was just taking the p*ss this morning”.

Pee for a penny, poop for a pound!

... Freaking hilarious ...

Frightening, I'd say.
Once they do it, I'm sure many others will follow.
So much for quality of air travel ... :td:

“Ancillary revenues, all of which are avoidable, help to reduce the cost of flying Ryanair and passengers using train and bus stations are already accustomed to paying to use the toilet so why not on airplanes?

Can someone clear this up for me? I don't remember paying to use the bathroom in any of the train stations inthe UK or Europe. This was a few years back, but still. Besides, what does the cost of using the toilet in a station have to do with using the toilet in the vehicle.

In an another article he was quoted as saying "I don't think there is anybody in history that has got on board a Ryanair aircraft with less than a pound.". I remember the one time I flew Ryanair, I didn't even have a pound on me. I had enough to pay for the a bus from the train station to a friend's house, and that was it (already had the train ticket). I suppose I would have had to use the seat cushion as a sponge since I didn't have a coke bottle...

Clearly, enough people fly that airline to enable the guy running it to make such a suggestion.

I will do everything in my power to ensure that I'm never one of them.

... I will do everything in my power to ensure that I'm never one of them ...

I'm doing it without use of any powers. ;)

Can someone clear this up for me? I don't remember paying to use the bathroom in any of the train stations inthe UK or Europe. This was a few years back, but still.
Sorry, but it's been a considerable number of years since UK train stations (certainly those in London) have been charging travellers to use the facilities.

The Netherlands is somewhere where you've always been expected to tip the attendant. Pretty much everywhere.


---
Have to admit it, I've also boarded my share of FR flights without any cash on me.


Poor FR crew... :( The job must be bad enough, this would force them to become toilet monitors. I can't see any other way they'll be able to prevent pax leaving the door open for each other unless they're there to police them. Or perhaps there's a scheme in place where the toilet only flushes once the door closes.

i can see it now....

some poor yutz is waiting in line for the head and he really (n.b. really) has to go.....

the line moves along, albeit slowly....

he starts with the "knee bending" and "eye squinting"....;)

he gets to the door of the head only to realize he hath no change.....

"anybody have change"?

PLEASE!

;)

Sorry, but it's been a considerable number of years since UK train stations (certainly those in London) have been charging travellers to use the facilities.

Fair enough. I only rode the train once, and I can't remember if I peed at the station or on the train (or maybe it was at the airport). It certainly wasn't a memorable pee.

Poor FR crew... :( The job must be bad enough, this would force them to become toilet monitors. I can't see any other way they'll be able to prevent pax leaving the door open for each other unless they're there to police them. Or perhaps there's a scheme in place where the toilet only flushes once the door closes.

Perhaps there is a sensor in the bathroom and it won't let the door close if there is a non-pax inside or the door automatically shuts behind you. I don't know how flight safety requirements would work under those though.

and yet again Michael O'Leary gets free advertising, worth millions, for his airline because some idiot let him on the telly to say something outrageous. Remember 'Beds and BJ's' ?

and yet again Michael O'Leary gets free advertising, worth millions, for his airline because some idiot let him on the telly to say something outrageous. Remember 'Beds and BJ's' ?

Absolutely! Just look at the response on FT. 7, count'em 7, separate threads started on this issue alone this morning in Newstand. That has got to be a record. :D

It's a stupid idea but not totally unprecedented. I did have to pay 1 euro to use public toilets around Venice. However, in a city, I understand it, to prevent loitering, help with maintenance, etc. On a plane, there is absolutely no reason for it whatsoever except to make a cheap buck. I haven't flown Ryanair and have no intention of doing so. I would rather be treated as a human being and pay slightly more than a cash register.

I would rather use one of these than pay (warning, not for the faint of heart):

http://www.comforthouse.com/porjoh.html

This should come as no surpise; we've been joking about it for two years.

Think of the possibilities.... They could sell priority lav service for an extra £1 or two, sell TP sheets for a few p each. ...

“Ancillary revenues, all of which are avoidable, help to reduce the cost of flying Ryanair and passengers using train and bus stations are already accustomed to paying to use the toilet so why not on airplanes?


Nice try. Last time I checked, an airplane wasn't an airport. :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes: :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes: :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes: :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes: :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes: :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes: :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Why anyone continues to fly that airline is truly beyond me.

I assume it is the same reason people ride greyhound. Similar type of product.

Absolutely! Just look at the response on FT. 7, count'em 7, separate threads started on this issue alone this morning in Newstand. That has got to be a record. :D
..

There was a database error since late last night to this morning, where no new posts were showing up. There are 7 separate threads on this because none of the posters were aware of the other posts.

The OP of this thread is even a moderator. Do you think a moderator would have posted the same story for the 7th time? ;)

There was a database error since late last night to this morning, where no new posts were showing up. There are 7 separate threads on this because none of the posters were aware of the other posts.

The OP of this thread is even a moderator. Do you think a moderator would have posted the same story for the 7th time? ;)

I became aware of the database error after I posted. In any event, it was a joke. Hence the :D. My answer also fit the post I quoted.

Moderator Hat On

So, we ended up with 76 Ryanair pay toilet threads. I guess this is a more serious issue than we thought. :(

They're all merged here now.

Moderator Hat Off

For your viewing pleasure... (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYspsgIjb4U) AS 'mocked' this situation back in the 80's :p

Maybe its time for them to dust off the Beta tapes :D

Or this one, which I reckon Ryanair may consider!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2kVWLorLVE

On O' Leary's announcement...
This is typical media manipulation by Ryanair, it's something they do all the time.

O'Leary makes an outlandish statement, gains acres of press coverage, airline then judges the the response and then at a later date introduces it, the masses haven been pre-softened by a media who print everything the man says.

So at best, lots of free advertising (all publicity is good publicity, eh?); at worst, pay toilets on board for flights, the vast majority of which are no more than 90 minutes. (Although some, to the Canary Islands are much longer)

I assume it is the same reason people ride greyhound. Similar type of product.
You could be right. But surely Greyhound don't charge you for use of the lav?!

(I've never traveled Greyhound!)

If they do end up being serious about this idea, I really don't think people holding the door for each other will really happen. I can't imagine being so cheap as to try to get a complete stranger to try to help me game the system and save a few cents.

So if you don't have the change, do you just pee and poo at your seat? That'll go over well. :D

No, new Extra Revenue Event for the airline beancounters. Right before the seat belt demo, the FA announces "For those seated where the pax on the last segment did not have exact lav change, and don't want to sit in the wet spot on this segment, we have Official Ryanair Approved Plastic Seat Covers on sale for 5 Euros, exact change only please." :D

No, new Extra Revenue Event for the airline beancounters. Right before the seat belt demo, the FA announces "For those seated where the pax on the last segment did not have exact lav change, and don't want to sit in the wet spot on this segment, we have Official Ryanair Approved Plastic Seat Covers on sale for 5 Euros, exact change only please." :D

And we will no longer collect used bottles of any kind... as they are a biohazard :rolleyes: :p

You could be right. But surely Greyhound don't charge you for use of the lav?!

(I've never traveled Greyhound!)

They don't charge for the bathroom.

Groups of friends and family will be doing what they can to hold the bathroom door for the next in their party if/when such a bathroom charge comes to an airline -- I see this happen at fast food restaurants (such as McDonalds) in those parts of Europe where there is a charge to use the restroom.

Ryanair Emergency procedures (http://www.chiroclinicmarlow.com/pic25314.jpg)

I loved the charge for reading the notice

Just leave the door open for the next user. I'm waiting for them to charge for toilet paper. They could always start selling condoms in the lavatory.

Case (should it be door?) closed. The boss confirms it was all a cheap stunt.

Charging for toilets PR stunt, says Ryanair boss (http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/0307/1224242448956.html)[Irish Times]
RYANAIR CHIEF executive Michael O’Leary has come clean and admitted that his proposals to charge passengers to use the toilet on aircraft was just a cheap publicity stunt.

...Mr O’Leary joked it was a “new visionary strategy and a wonderful idea” but also conceded that it could be construed as “taking the p***”. He told the conference, organised by city tourist bodies around Europe, that Ryanair had bought Boeing aircraft in recent years, but the doors were not suitable for charging customers to use the toilet.

“Boeing can put people on the moon, design fighter aircraft and smart bombs, but they can’t design a bloody mechanism to go on doors that will accept coins...

“It is not likely to happen, but it makes for interesting and very cheap PR”...

Shocking! :p

Case (should it be door?) closed. The boss confirms it was all a cheap stunt.



Shocking! :p

Oh so blame it on Boeing... Is this why he was considering an Airbus order :p?

wow the shallowness of FR is... shocking...