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Ryanair targets group sales and touts free fares
Jennifer Morris
jennifer.morris@
travelweekly.co.uk
A new Ryanair website for groups will seek to take business off agents as the airline strives to further drive down air fares – even raising the prospect of free tickets.
The carrier will launch a website
for group bookings in September to counter the trade, which it claims directs group bookings to the more expensive legacy carriers. Ryanair chief marketing officer
Kenny Jacobs said: “Groups have often been left in the hands of travel agents who often steer them down the legacy carrier route.” Also in September, Europe’s
largest low-cost carrier will unveil a schools trip-booking service, Ryanair School Travel, which it describes as a “dedicated travel agency for school tours”. Jacobs said school tours “cost
too much” and the service would offer savings and more choice. In an update marking the third
anniversary of its ‘Always Getting Better’ programme this week, Ryanair also revealed its latest
plans to drive bookings to its website and reduce air fares. Asked whether the carrier
intended to stick to its vow to reduce fares to an average of €25, chief executive Michael O’Leary indicated it may go even further. “I would like to say average air
fares for Ryanair will be €10 in the next five years,” he said. “Currently it is €40-€45, but I hope if we can double in size we can bring down prices. Why not free or €1 in 10 years’ time? “Why can’t we keep driving
Ryanair plans to drive bookings to its website
down the cost of air travel? The more optional [ancillary] services we can sell, the more the underlying air fare can fall.” Destination guides, featuring
targeted information and offers, are due to be added to the Ryanair website in July. Also that month, the airline will start selling a ‘Leisure Plus’ bundle fare offering reserved seats, auto check-in and priority boarding. “We want to have Europe’s most accessible travel content,” said Jacobs.
5 US warns its visa scheme ‘at risk’
Ian Taylor WTTC Global Summit, Dallas
The US visa-waiver programme is “at risk” if governments don’t share more passenger information with Washington, a senior member of the Obama administration has warned travel leaders.
US secretary of commerce
Penny Pritzker told the World Travel & Tourism Council summit in Dallas last week: “Given the presence of foreign fighters in
visa-waiver programme member countries, the programme must change rapidly if it is to remain effective. Partner governments must significantly improve their ability to collect, share and use information to screen passengers.” The visa-waiver programme
allows UK passport holders to enter the US without a visa under the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation. Pritzker said: “The visa-waiver
programme is at risk because people are scared and it is easy for politicians to terrify people. We need
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travelweekly.co.uk 14 April 2016
“Partner governments must significantly improve their sharing of passenger information”
a system to track the bad guys.” In December, the US Congress
voted to tighten the visa-waiver process. US Travel Association president and chief executive Roger Dow said: “These are tricky times. There are many uninformed folks attacking the visa-waiver programme. The Paris
and Brussels attacks have brought increased scrutiny and improving visa security is paramount.” Alejandro Mayorkas, deputy
secretary of US Department of Homeland Security, said: “The programme has been under challenge.” But he insisted: “We are absolutely committed to the visa-waiver programme.” Mayorkas added: “Brussels
showed it’s not just screening passengers that is a concern but we must address the airport as a
place of mass assembly.” › WTTC 2016 report, back page
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