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Low-budget Ryanair launches business-class tickets
By Lee Woo-youngPublished : Aug. 29, 2014 - 20:05
DUBLIN (AP) ― European budget carrier Ryanair is offering business-class tickets in an attempt to woo companies and governments during penny-pinching times.
Marketed under the slogan “Your boss will approve,” the new ticket reverses some of the airline’s more reviled policies for fee-dazzled travelers. The Dublin-based company, long Europe’s fastest-growing airline with a sell-it-cheap, stack-’em-high philosophy, says it hopes to capture three-fourths of all business travel between Britain and Ireland, its two biggest markets.
The move reflects not just the airline’s desire to leverage its huge presence in Europe, but also a growing interest in low-cost executive travel. Most European governments are still cutting down on debt while many companies remain wary of spending as the eurozone recovery has stalled. Ryanair says more than a quarter of its passengers already are business travelers.
The new ticket will be a low-budget version of traditional business class. It will allow a checked-in bag weighing up to 20 kilograms, which normally costs 25 euros to 75 euros ($33 to $99); preferential boarding and, at some airports, fast-track security lines; and most importantly, free changes to flights including on the day of travel.
Marketed under the slogan “Your boss will approve,” the new ticket reverses some of the airline’s more reviled policies for fee-dazzled travelers. The Dublin-based company, long Europe’s fastest-growing airline with a sell-it-cheap, stack-’em-high philosophy, says it hopes to capture three-fourths of all business travel between Britain and Ireland, its two biggest markets.
The move reflects not just the airline’s desire to leverage its huge presence in Europe, but also a growing interest in low-cost executive travel. Most European governments are still cutting down on debt while many companies remain wary of spending as the eurozone recovery has stalled. Ryanair says more than a quarter of its passengers already are business travelers.
The new ticket will be a low-budget version of traditional business class. It will allow a checked-in bag weighing up to 20 kilograms, which normally costs 25 euros to 75 euros ($33 to $99); preferential boarding and, at some airports, fast-track security lines; and most importantly, free changes to flights including on the day of travel.
