Ryanair One Step Closer to Low-Cost Trans-Atlantic Flights
Joe Cortez March 18, 2015
Ryanair board approves expansion to the United States, with uncertain timetable of when trans-Atlantic flights may begin.
Could Ryanair soon be flying over American skies? The possibility of flying the infamous low-cost carrier in the United States could become a reality by 2020. USA Today reports the Irish airline has been given the green light to start adding trans-Atlantic flights to their schedule by their board.
“The board of Ryanair have approved the business plans for future growth, including transatlantic,” the airline said in a statement printed by Ireland’s RTÉ. “European consumers want lower cost travel to the U.S. and the same for Americans coming to Europe. We see it as a logical development in the European market.”
Although Ryanair has been hinting at the move for several years, board approval is the first step in actualizing flights to the United States for the carrier. The airline tells RTÉ they are in discussion with aircraft manufacturers about adding long-haul aircraft to their fleet, which could come in five years.
If and when the flights come to fruition, executives at the airline claim one-way flights for as little as $15 are a possibility, while regular fares would start at around $146 one-way before additional fees for baggage and onboard services. The Irish Times reports the airline is considering as many as 14 U.S. cities for their eventual launch into the American market, including Boston, Chicago and New York.
While the move mirrors that of other European low-cost carriers entering the American marketplace, executives for Ryanair are confident that their attempts would be more successful, and met with less resistance from regulators. Kenny Jacobs told Financial Times: “We’ve seen what others have done, we’ve listened and observed what’s gone on in the past 12 months and now have a better view on how we’d like to launch it and market it, and what the product would look like.”
[Photo: Ryanair]
Really! I've had one RyanAir experience -- Dublin - Stansted ( I refuse to even call it a trip) and I swore never EVER again. I can't even imagine the pain of travelling them across the Atlantic! JM2CW.
In other news, Ryanair will institute mandatory work assignments for all passengers for the new transatlantic service. Passengers will be asked to rotate between flight attendant, pilot, and ground crew positions during their journey. The IFE system will be installed for each passenger to handle customer service replies submitted via Ryanair.com when they are not assigned to a flight duty. If one chooses not to participate in any of their ticketed duties, they will be charged a $400 surcharge per leg, with a 3% credit card fee if not paid in cash.
This is great for the customer!!! I wonder if the American based airlines will throw their toys out the pram, cry and claim that Ryanair has received millions in funding from the Irish government!
I thought Ryanair already had Transatlantic flights? Actually, wait, my apologies...I am thinking of United.