gilesdavies From United Kingdom, joined Dec 2003, 2882 posts, RR: 1 Posted (2 years 1 month 5 days 2 hours ago) and read 3901 times:
Ryanair are to start trialling pre-reserved seating for a fee of £10 per seat, this will initially be offered on there DUB-LGW and DUB-AGP routes...
The trial reserved seating will be offered for the first two rows of seats on the aircraft and the emergency exit rows. This will potentially offer the airline £240 per flight in additional revenue.
These passengers will be allowed to board the aircraft first, along with the priority boarding passengers who pay £4 per flight.
I think haters of Ryanair, will deem this as another possible charge, and could potentially be a good revenue earner for the airline.
But I personally think this is a great compromise for the airline, this still allows the airline to offer fast turnarounds, by offering the majority of the flight as still free seating and getting the passengers on the flight as quickly as possible. While possibly attracting passengers who would avoid them for not having allocated seating, while keeping this number to a minimum.
Eagleboy From Niue, joined Dec 2009, 1619 posts, RR: 2 Reply 1, posted (2 years 1 month 5 days 2 hours ago) and read 3840 times:
Well lots of people predicted that FR would begin to move away from the ULCC business model.....MoL among them. This could be the start of a upscaling of their service offering to counter the legacy airlines cost reduction over the last 10 years to allow them to compete with FR.
7LBAC111 From United Kingdom, joined Jul 2004, 2566 posts, RR: 43 Reply 3, posted (2 years 1 month 5 days 1 hour ago) and read 3669 times:
I often wonder exactly what the cost to an airline is in not offering assigned or reservable seating. Don't WN, who FR claim to model themselves on, offer this facility?
Debate is what you put on de hook when you want to catch de fish.
bj87 From Netherlands, joined Jun 2009, 444 posts, RR: 0 Reply 4, posted (2 years 1 month 5 days 1 hour ago) and read 3654 times:
Quoting Eagleboy (Reply 1): This could be the start of a upscaling of their service offering to counter the legacy airlines cost reduction over the last 10 years to allow them to compete with FR.
Can't say it would surprise me. They have build up a giant clientele that use them on a regular basis, including businessmen.
It would be a shame though if those "cheap" flights disappear. I say "cheap" because on certain routes they are just as expensive as legacy carriers. I mean once you add the online check in fee, a little coke can in the plane, baggage fee, emergency fee (or however they call their latest fee) and of course some other fees that allow you to pay your fees. By the time you add it all up you might as well pay ten bucks more and fly KLM -> more legroom, free drinks and snacks and of course air-miles.
yxd172 From Canada, joined Feb 2008, 427 posts, RR: 0 Reply 5, posted (2 years 1 month 5 days 1 hour ago) and read 3654 times:
Well, I can't blame them for doing this, it's another nice little bit of revenue... doesn't mean that I like it though! On my only 2 FR flights I've gotten the emergency exit rows both times even though I was about 2/3 of the way back in line! It seems that most people who board early just take the seats closest to the doors, leaving the best seats for those who know about them. Oh well, for the price the flights are still great.
Radial engines don't leak oil, they are just marking their territory!
Eagleboy From Niue, joined Dec 2009, 1619 posts, RR: 2 Reply 6, posted (2 years 1 month 5 days 1 hour ago) and read 3550 times:
Quoting 7LBAC111 (Reply 3): I often wonder exactly what the cost to an airline is in not offering assigned or reservable seating. Don't WN, who FR claim to model themselves on, offer this facility?
1-Free seating encourages faster boarding which keeps the FR punctuality impressive (long block times help too) On legacy carriers pax can be slow (late) as they 'know' they have the seat they want.
2-Any problems with duplicated assignments could impact on punctuality and customer service satisfaction.
3-Maybe the assignment of seats will requires an addition to the FR boarding system?
SouthWest use a priority boarding system were you are assigned a place in 1 of 3 boarding groups (A,B,C) who then board in sequence. So you could be B13, meaning you are 13th in the second boarding group. Priority can be purchased I believe. This gives WN a culture of prompt yet controlled boarding.
jALIg From Norway, joined Apr 2011, 23 posts, RR: 0 Reply 7, posted (2 years 1 month 5 days ago) and read 3426 times:
Now i cant really understand why you want to pay for priority boarding. Except ofcourse if you are in group/family and have an extreme need to sit together.
Usually i haven found that to be a problem either in general boarding, and ive been flying FR a lot. People tend to cluster in the seats towards the front and back doors. So in the middle (including the emergency exits) are usually free. If you are able to be in the front or middle of general boarding.
SSPhoenix From United Kingdom, joined Aug 2010, 91 posts, RR: 0 Reply 8, posted (2 years 1 month 5 days ago) and read 3374 times:
Well, I wouldn't call myself an FR hater but I stay well clear of them simply because I much prefer to fly with a legacy airline.
Personally, their business model has worked well for them and there is nothing wrong with copying ideas from your business rivals (although they might operate in a different market); many legacy carriers already charge a premium if one wishes to seat in the emergency exits or better.
I usually just wait until online check-in, where I can select seat right next to the wing! - a place the general public likes to avoid, but doesn't make much of a difference for most travellers.
Quoting jALIg (Reply 7): Now i cant really understand why you want to pay for priority boarding.
I know many relatives who get exhausted (they are in their 30s) with the standing and queing, for most people who go for this facility I think it provides a peace of mind (if one is travelling alone) and provides families the ability to huddle together.
jALIg From Norway, joined Apr 2011, 23 posts, RR: 0 Reply 9, posted (2 years 1 month 5 days ago) and read 3308 times:
Quoting SSPhoenix (Reply 8): I know many relatives who get exhausted (they are in their 30s) with the standing and queing, for most people who go for this facility I think it provides a peace of mind (if one is travelling alone) and provides families the ability to huddle together.
I can understand that argument in some ways. But my experience is that the priority boarding is open for everyone. So that in theory the whole plane could be on priority boarding.
I could very well understand it if it was a limited number only. But i have been on flights where almost half of the passengers was in the PB group. Then it just doesent make sense anymore because you are still in the same cattlerace to the stairs. Only difference you had to pay for it in addition to you ticket.
BrianDromey From Ireland, joined Dec 2006, 3808 posts, RR: 10 Reply 11, posted (2 years 1 month 4 days 22 hours ago) and read 3095 times:
I have to wonder if FR would be better to allow seating at the back of the cabin? They use both doors anyway, might encourage people to use the back steps, which always seem to be less popular.
Next flights: MAN-ORK-LHR(EI)-MAN(BD); MAN-LHR(BD)-ORK (EI); DUB-ZRH-LAX (LX) LAX-YYZ (AC) YYZ-YHZ-LHR(AC)-DUB(BD)
parapente From United Kingdom, joined Mar 2006, 1316 posts, RR: 10 Reply 15, posted (2 years 1 month 4 days 21 hours ago) and read 2951 times:
Well it's abit like low calorie mayonaise vs low calorie tomato ketchup! One works. (The Mayonaise) as you are trying to save calories eating a salad, the other does not as you are more than likley eating a hamburger in the first place!
ie Why pay extra to go an Ryanair when the only reason you are thee in the first place (unless you need a doctor) is to save as much money as you can!
But my complaint is not that they may charge for a reserved seat - that is their perogative of course - or that they charge for 101 different things from credit card usage right down to printing your own boarding pass.Hell over in the States they have even started charging for hand luggage!
No it's the total lack of pricing tranparency.It is trying to con people in believeing one price when it is really another. And it's not just airlines.Over here in the UK it is accepted that the tarfifs for Gas or elecrticity are so complex that even experts cannot understand/compare /contrast.If they can not work it out how can the consumer - but that is the wh0ole point.Equally IFA's investing your pension moneys hide the real total charges. So it is a growing and nasty culture in general.
It is for Govenments to sort this out.They could if they wanted - but clearly they are not interested in protecting the consumer - end of rant.
Viscount724 From Switzerland, joined Oct 2006, 21488 posts, RR: 24 Reply 17, posted (2 years 1 month 4 days 15 hours ago) and read 2516 times:
Quoting Eagleboy (Reply 6): 1-Free seating encourages faster boarding which keeps the FR punctuality impressive (long block times help too) On legacy carriers pax can be slow (late) as they 'know' they have the seat they want.
2-Any problems with duplicated assignments could impact on punctuality and customer service satisfaction.
I can also foresee problems where passengers who have not paid for the assigned seats, board first and assume they can sit anywhere, resulting in confusion and disputes the cabin crew will have to resolve when the passengers who have paid for those seats board to find them occupied. Even if they make some kind of pre-boarding announcement, many passengers ignore those announcements or don't understand them due to language problems.
That's not a problem where all seats are assigned but where only 4 rows of seats are assigned and those passengers may be among the last to board (since they know they have assigned seats), I wonder how FR plans to keep other passengers out of those seats.
And if some or all of those seats are not pre-booked, they're obviously not going to leave them empty, but how and when will they make them available to other passengers?
lhr380 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 18, posted (2 years 1 month 4 days 15 hours ago) and read 2462 times:
Quoting Viscount724 (Reply 17): And if some or all of those seats are not pre-booked, they're obviously not going to leave them empty, but how and when will they make them available to other passengers?
I guess what happens on other airlines, first come first serve...
Viscount724 From Switzerland, joined Oct 2006, 21488 posts, RR: 24 Reply 19, posted (2 years 1 month 4 days 14 hours ago) and read 2420 times:
Quoting lhr380 (Reply 18): Quoting Viscount724 (Reply 17):
And if some or all of those seats are not pre-booked, they're obviously not going to leave them empty, but how and when will they make them available to other passengers?
I guess what happens on other airlines, first come first serve...
My point was that if, for example, only 2 of the 24 seats in the 4 rows available for pre-booked seating on FR are actually booked at the applicable fee, how will other passengers know which 2 seats have been reserved, and that the other 22 seats in those rows are available to all passengers?
For non-LCCs that generally assign all seats, their computers will take care of that as they will assign the available seats in those rows automatically.
lhr380 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 20, posted (2 years 1 month 4 days 14 hours ago) and read 2420 times:
Quoting Viscount724 (Reply 19): My point was that if, for example, only 2 of the 24 seats in the 4 rows available for pre-booked seating on FR are actually booked at the applicable fee, how will other passengers know which 2 seats have been reserved, and that the other 22 seats in those rows are available to all passengers?
Maybe something like they do on trains where there is a ticket there saying reserved or something? Or even a headrest or something. Would be pretty simple to sort out.
Asturias From Spain, joined Apr 2006, 1934 posts, RR: 17 Reply 21, posted (2 years 1 month 4 days 14 hours ago) and read 2337 times:
Quoting SSPhoenix (Reply 8): Well, I wouldn't call myself an FR hater but I stay well clear of them simply because I much prefer to fly with a legacy airline.
Same here. Don't really hate them, but stay well clear of them. Paying for seat assignments may appeal to people who only live in FR-world, but for the rest of us we get that included in the ticket price - and when you start paying for seat assignments you're inching up pretty darn close to legacy prices.
Sort of defeats the whole point of FR existence, IMO. Though, obviously since I don't fly FR, their existence has never been quite clear from my POV. I prefer to pay more and get more, consistently and predictably.
Skyteam10001 From United States of America, joined Jun 2004, 194 posts, RR: 0 Reply 22, posted (2 years 1 month 4 days 7 hours ago) and read 2161 times:
With all due respect, a lot of people are missing the point in my opinion. I am a regular flyer with a few legacy airlines and have top-tier status with them. I am based in Paris so I can fly Ryanair from Beauvais (BVA). I do from time to time when the fare difference is huge between them and their competitors, or when they're the only ones flying to the destination I would like to go or even when the schedule is more convenient.
Case in point last week: I flew BVA-BLQ on Ryanair for 100 euros round trip all included (PB and luggage charges). Air France for the same dates were about 250 euros.
Being a frequent traveller I like to have a good seat on the plane and that's why I paid for PB and would pay for assigned seating to make sure I have a good seat and make the Ryanair experience better. That would have made my ticket price go to maybe 130 euros round trip. Still half as cheap as AF.
This is just to say to ppl who are convinced that Ryanair is full of pax looking for the cheapest price and not willing to pay a cent more for anything that it is not always the case, and I am sure that there are many like me who fly the airline and like a little bit of comfort / convenience for a price that is still MUCH less in general than a legacy carrier.
And for all who are saying "with all the added fees you might as well fly a legacy carrier", I have to say that in my experience from my flight last week and several ones before, after paying all the fees I was willing to pay, Ryanair was still much much cheaper than the legacy carrier on the same route.
Bottom line (sorry it took me so long): great idea to try assigned seating for a few seats so that the ppl who want it will pay for it, and great idea to not do it on all seats to a) not add a fee to a lot of ppl who are super price sensitive and don't care which seat they put the bum in and b) to not endanger Ryanair's fast turnarounds which is a big part of the business model.
blueflyer From United States of America, joined Jan 2006, 3125 posts, RR: 1 Reply 23, posted (2 years 1 month 4 days 3 hours ago) and read 1933 times:
Quoting lhr380 (Reply 20): Maybe something like they do on trains where there is a ticket there saying reserved or something?
There are quite a few solutions indeed, but nearly all of them (at least the ones I think of) involve more work for the crew, which in turn increases the risk of a delay.
The only solution I can think of would be to require passengers with pre-reserved seats to board early, rather than simply allow them to, with the added "motivation" that once regular boarding has begun, any and all pre-reserved seat that haven't been taken up are free for all... But that defeats half of the point.
Bthebest From United Kingdom, joined Jan 2008, 419 posts, RR: 0 Reply 24, posted (2 years 1 month 4 days 3 hours ago) and read 1913 times:
I was surprised a while ago when I heard they (and other LCCs) didn't have assigned seating. Is this not a security or safety issue?
I thought, in case of an incident or accident, it was crucial for investigators to know where everyone was sitting so culprits or bodies could be identified as well as the impact on them?
25 GT4EZY: No. People change seats in flight all the time. The crash scene identification thing is all a myth. I was once bollocked by a passenger at my old air
26 jalig: I find the argument about faster turnaround beeing a bit weak. 25 min is essential for an efficient utilization of a 737. But i firmly belive that ass
27 GT4EZY: I agree. My thoughts on this are detailed in the post before yours. There are some anomolies though. City routes, once onboard pax get there act toge
28 richardw: Would a diagram on their boarding card showing where their seat is help at all?
30 blueflyer: Highly doubtful. The pax who spend so much time today trying to figure out what comes after row 15 and how far they still are from their seat in row
31 GT4EZY: Very true. To be fair to that type of pax though, they are usually prepared and keep within baggage limits. Horses for corses i guess. lol.
32 peterinlisbon: I think it's a good idea. Those that want it and think it's worth paying the extra 10 pounds can have it. Personally, I'd rather save the money but I'
33 timrees: When I flew with FR back from IBZ last Oct, on boarding several of the rows were blocked with either tapes or the tray tables were down and marked no
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