Ryanair, a popular low-cost carrier in Europe, has once again targeted additional sources of revenue from its aircraft. The introduction of the levies caused shock and outrage among air travelers and attracted public attention.
The profit will be guaranteed, the airline is confident, because almost all passengers use the bathroom, especially on long-haul flights. The carrier, known for its innovative approaches and strategies, posted a video on its TikTok page where an employee tried to avoid answering a question about a toilet fee.
Despite the humorous intonation of the speaker, the video gained 1.8 million views and caused a flurry of indignation among commentators, many of whom fly with this airline.
Yes, some immediately spoke about possible problems for passengers with kidney and bladder diseases if such a fee became a reality. “Even if it’s only 0.50 euros (20 hryvnias at the current exchange rate), this could be the reason why I won’t fly Ryanair again – you have to draw a line somewhere,” said one. Another noted: “We may be charged up to 2 euros (82 hryvnias) for using toilets on board Ryanair planes from 2024.” Ryanair was not left out and added its commentary in the video, pointing to the introduction of the charges from 30 February 2024 – a non-existent date, further annoying people with its statement.
Although this is all speculation for now, many social media users took the airline’s statements seriously and expressed their displeasure. While Ryanair continues its provocative communication on social media, it remains an open question of how seriously the company is considering the introduction of such a charge and what will be the reaction of passengers and the public to the proposal.
We will remind you that the carrier has been raising this topic for 13 years, clearly feeling the ground. In 2009, Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary said he was serious about charging his passengers to use the in-flight toilet. “We’ve studied this before, and the problem is that Boeing can’t invent a mechanism on a toilet door to accept coins. We suggest that they go back and look at the mechanism by which you can pay for the service directly at the door of the toilet,” he said at the time.