Ryanair’s Toilet Fee: PR Success

It's what the Irish themselves would call taking the pi$$. Gotta love this BBC expose of Ryanair: http://is.gd/lwW2 Incredible stuff. And, of course, the airline's total disdain for customers who blog, as evidenced by this piece in the Guardian: http://is.gd/kPzj cheers!

Paid for toilets on board is a definite non-starter, although it might be wistful thinking on Michael O'Leary's part; when each airline has to pay for a pump-out at each stop, he would relish the ability to enlarge his "pay-as-you-use" policy.
The truth is that on board toilets are regulated by the JAA and the FAA as a safety services and equipment item, just like the seats or the air-conditioning system. There is a universal rule that "no aircraft in public passenger service is allowed to commence a flight of more than 40 minutes duration without at least half of its toilets being functional and available for use in flight. Any unilateral alteration, eg., fitting os coi-slots, would invalidate the Public Transport Certificate of Airworthiness of each aircraft, necessitating revalidation by, eg., Boeing, FAA, CAA, JAA etc. I cannot see them all agreeing on such a change. There are some things where passenger safety and passenger comfort would be seen as indistinguishable.

Great PR, but at the same time, Ryanair are showing adverts for rival airlines like Easyjet, having signed up to Google's Adsense programme. Why go to such efforts bringing people to their website, only to risk sending them away again to rival companies. In this case, Ryanair are earning a penny to lose a pound.

I'm confused: does this mean I don't need to bring a bucket of sawdust on my next Ryan Air flight?

I can't see how they can charge because life is about choices, if there are 2 public toilets 1 you have to pay for and 2 that is free I know which one I would CHOOSE if ryanair do go ahead it is taking our choice away from us. I know what I would I'd wait till the plane landed and go on the airport.

Instead of us paying up front for a pee or a poo on Ryanair I wonder if Mr Dreary O’Leary would like to take deposits from those caught short?

On a serious note I know of many Ryanair travellers who will not be using them ever again.

Come back Gerald Ratner all is forgiven.

With all its add ons and extras Ryanair has turned itself into the airline of last choice.

From now on I will be travelling to OSLO on SAS.

Not only more user friendly but also cheaper when you take into account all the Ryanair add ons and surcharges.

Sign on door, in for a penny, in for a pound...