http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/48...avatories.html
Ryanair considers charging passengers to use lavatories
Ryanair passengers could be charged £1 to use the onboard lavatories, chief executive Michael O'Leary said yesterday.
Mr O'Leary, famous for his uncompromising approach to cost-cutting, said he was considering attaching coin slots to the doors, similar to those used in train stations.
He said: "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.
"We are always, at Ryanair, looking at ways of constantly lowering the cost of air travel and making it affordable and easier for all passengers to fly with us."
Asked if charging for such a basic need might inconvenience passengers travelling without cash, Mr O'Leary replied: "I don't think there is anybody in history that has got on board a Ryanair aircraft with less than a pound.
"What do you do at Liverpool Street station at the moment you need to spend a penny? I think you have to spend 20p to go to the toilets at Liverpool Street station," he said on BBC Breakfast.
Later, Ryanair spokesman Stephen McNamara 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.
"However, this highlights Ryanair's continuing obsession with lowering costs and passing these savings on in the form of lower fares.
"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."
A spokesman for the Civil Aviation Authority, which is responsible for regulating UK air travel, said there was nothing in law to stop Ryanair charging passengers to use its lavatories.
The spokesman said: "There's no legal requirement to have a lavatory on an aircraft. Small aircraft don't have them."
He added: "It's a decision for Mr O'Leary about whether to charge for the lavatories."
But the spokesman pointed out that "we have never, ever heard of any airline charging to use the lavatories before".
Mr O'Leary, who has expanded Ryanair by offering low headline fares and charging extra for items such as additional luggage, added: "We're all about finding ways of raising discretionary revenue so we can keep lowering the cost of air travel."
Last week, Mr O'Leary told The Daily Telegraph that he wanted Ryanair to remove all check-in desks by the end of the year in a further bid to cut costs.
Rochelle Turner, head of research at Which? Holiday, said: "It seems Ryanair is prepared to plumb any depth to make a fast buck and, once again, is putting profit before the comfort of its customers"
"Charging people to go to the toilet might result in fewer people buying overpriced drinks on board, though - that would serve Ryanair right."
========================================
"Charging people to go to the toilet might result in fewer people buying overpriced drinks on board, though - that would serve Ryanair right."
Ryanair considers charging passengers to use lavatories
Ryanair passengers could be charged £1 to use the onboard lavatories, chief executive Michael O'Leary said yesterday.
Mr O'Leary, famous for his uncompromising approach to cost-cutting, said he was considering attaching coin slots to the doors, similar to those used in train stations.
He said: "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.
"We are always, at Ryanair, looking at ways of constantly lowering the cost of air travel and making it affordable and easier for all passengers to fly with us."
Asked if charging for such a basic need might inconvenience passengers travelling without cash, Mr O'Leary replied: "I don't think there is anybody in history that has got on board a Ryanair aircraft with less than a pound.
"What do you do at Liverpool Street station at the moment you need to spend a penny? I think you have to spend 20p to go to the toilets at Liverpool Street station," he said on BBC Breakfast.
Later, Ryanair spokesman Stephen McNamara 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.
"However, this highlights Ryanair's continuing obsession with lowering costs and passing these savings on in the form of lower fares.
"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."
A spokesman for the Civil Aviation Authority, which is responsible for regulating UK air travel, said there was nothing in law to stop Ryanair charging passengers to use its lavatories.
The spokesman said: "There's no legal requirement to have a lavatory on an aircraft. Small aircraft don't have them."
He added: "It's a decision for Mr O'Leary about whether to charge for the lavatories."
But the spokesman pointed out that "we have never, ever heard of any airline charging to use the lavatories before".
Mr O'Leary, who has expanded Ryanair by offering low headline fares and charging extra for items such as additional luggage, added: "We're all about finding ways of raising discretionary revenue so we can keep lowering the cost of air travel."
Last week, Mr O'Leary told The Daily Telegraph that he wanted Ryanair to remove all check-in desks by the end of the year in a further bid to cut costs.
Rochelle Turner, head of research at Which? Holiday, said: "It seems Ryanair is prepared to plumb any depth to make a fast buck and, once again, is putting profit before the comfort of its customers"
"Charging people to go to the toilet might result in fewer people buying overpriced drinks on board, though - that would serve Ryanair right."
========================================
"Charging people to go to the toilet might result in fewer people buying overpriced drinks on board, though - that would serve Ryanair right."
Comment