Those of you who have traveled Europe on a student budget are likely to have used Ryanair at some point in time. Despite some negative experiences, I must say I rely on Ryanair heavily when I am visiting continental Europe, and Michael O’Leary is probably the entrepreneur I admire the most. He has continually cut costs and expanded the network of the airline, and in this article purports to be aiming towards free flights in the future! Though it may just be a marketing ploy, it is interesting that he points out that 30% of Ryanair’s revenue is generated from ancillary sources. It would be incredible if we reach a point where getting on a plane from Dublin to Paris is free of charge, and the airline is still making a profit.
I relied on companies like Ryanair, Vueling, and Whizz Air extensively during my time in Europe. For those who don’t know, they are budget airlines… think London to Barcelona for $40 round trip. I was thinking while reading the article that the United States really doesn’t have anything comparable to these companies. Sure we have Spirit, JetBlue, and Allegiant, but those airlines are no where near as inexpensive as their European counterparts. I wonder why that is? It’s possible U.S. has stricter aviation guidelines or regulations, and maybe that raises costs? Or the frequency with which Europeans use these airlines drives down costs? The thought of a free-flight is pretty revolutionary. Sure it’s annoying when the stewardess is constantly walking down the aisles trying to get you to buy something but for the prospect of a free flight, it’s definitely worth it.