[Alex McWhirter]

It’s something Business Traveller had previously reported … the concept whereby LCCs feed conventional carriers with passengers.

Nowadays LCCs serve many more secondary destinations than do conventional carriers. So they can be a valuable source of extra revenue.

Peter Bellew (interviewed by Tom when at MAS) COO of Ryanair told Independent.ie that “A long-expected plan that would see Ryanair feed passengers from around Europe into Aer Lingus transatlantic services at Dublin should be operational before the end of the year.”

https://www.independent.ie/business/irish/ryanairs-bellew-warns-airlines-over-tech-37067243.html

[openfly]

Imagine turning up at a Ryanair check-in for a connex flight to an EI Business flight to the States, with a 30kg bag and two pieces of hand baggage…..hehe. It just doesn’t bear thinking about! 😀

[canucklad]

If they can pull it off, its great for Ryanair, even better for Aer Lingus as long as they can manage their brand credibility.
I wonder what the Likes of LOT, AF, IB and BA make of it …… Could be a haemorrhaging of their passengers as traffic switch to Dublin and its obvious benefits if you’re travelling to the US.
In fact could FR have the same effect on loads westbound, as EK have had on loads eastbound ?

[FDOS_UK]

[quote quote=873074]Imagine turning up at a Ryanair check-in for a connex flight to an EI Business flight to the States, with a 30kg bag and two pieces of hand baggage…..hehe. It just doesn’t bear thinking about! 😀[/quote]

Ryanair is a smart operator – if they are going to feed business class, they will have worked out how to support it.

[LuganoPirate]

[quote quote=873284]

openfly wrote:

Imagine turning up at a Ryanair check-in for a connex flight to an EI Business flight to the States, with a 30kg bag and two pieces of hand baggage…..hehe. It just doesn’t bear thinking about! 😀

Ryanair is a smart operator – if they are going to feed business class, they will have worked out how to support it.[/quote]

Yes, Kulula, a LCC in south Africa adhere to the 20 kgs 1 cabin bag policy quite strictly. However in on a through ticket with EK, AF or can show an onward connection with BA, you can take whatever allowance is permitted by your class of travel. I’m sure Ryanair will have a similar arrangement in place.

2 users thanked author for this post.

FDOS_UK, 747foreverforus

[openfly]

@LP….you are correct in using Kulula as an example, but they are owned by Comair/BA which in turn is 18% owned by BA, so there is an inherent professional method in sensible check-in for connex pax.

My point is attempting to check-in at some remote unheard of airport for a Ryanair flight to DUB….and the ensuing discussion with a third party agent who speaks little English as to your free baggage allowance! 😀

[capetonianm]

Much as I dislike the Ryanair ethos, it’s a highly successful business model and it works. I imagine that this will work too, and for those who are prepared to put up with the unpleasantness of dealing with and flying on Ryanair, it will be fine.

[capetonianm]

As per openfly’s comment, Ryanair fly to (I think) almost 300 destinations, whereas Kulula serve less than 20 (I could think of 12, there are probably some I’ve missed).

[Alex McWhirter]

Ryanair’s route map.

https://corporate.ryanair.com/network/

[PatJordan]

As an aside (and let it be said, somewhat tongue in cheek), Michael O’Leary’s views on Business Class passengers are clearly stated in his comments regarding the 2006 Stern Report on climate change:

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/oleary-savages-idiotic-report-on-climate-26354220.html

Are these the same passengers he now hopes to entice aboard his airline to feed Aer Lingus Transatlantic services, many of whom might just be paying for Business Class on EI metal??

[FDOS_UK]

[quote quote=874814]As per openfly’s comment, Ryanair fly to (I think) almost 300 destinations, whereas Kulula serve less than 20 (I could think of 12, there are probably some I’ve missed).[/quote]

Who reported this email for4 ‘inappropriate content’?

Unbelievable.

[AisleSeatTraveller]

are biz class passengers really the target?

[FDOS_UK]

[quote quote=874925]are biz class passengers really the target?[/quote]

I imagine the target is feed pax and biz pax will be a % of the package.

Frankly, I wouldn’t have a problem connecting to BA on FR, at least you get a bit more legroom.

[canucklad]

I’d agree with AST, price conscious passengers are the main target

I suspect that the majority of business travellers, or more specifically frequent flyers will be attached to an alliance programme where earning points is strong motivator for the choice of airline

So if you live in regional Poland, there’s a high chance you are going to have an allegiance to Star and transit through Warsaw, Frankfurt or Zurich.
Similarly business travellers that live in the French regions might reasonably opt for AMS or even CDG as a transit point.

BA’s BAEC members who live in GLA/EDI and MAN are going to naturally choose LHR.

Hence why I said earlier that FR might be the catalyst for a haemorrhaging of passengers from LOT/ BA etc i. Especially if comparison websites start prioritizing FR/EI flights at the top of returned search then that could impact legacy domestic traffic in those countries quite dramatically .

Interestingly, the reason why I said it’ll benefit EI more than FR, is that on most routes FR’s yield is historically quite high, so adding in an additional 10 or so passengers per aircraft as a percentage isn’t much. However multiply those 5-10 passengers with the amount of flights FR arriving into DUB transiting onto a relatively few flights eastbound and you’re seeing a much bigger percentage growth .

And as I’m writing this, its occurred to me that IAG will probably put a blocker into place, stating that the codeshare agreement doesn’t infringe on territory where Iberia & BA are the incumbent carriers ?

[Alex McWhirter]

As FDOS notes I would imagine it would be a mixture of the two.

Much will depend on the originating point.

[Author]

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