Ryanair | Digital Crosstalk

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Brian and team, who work for a digital marketing agency run this Digital Crosstalk blog.
Occasionally we might blog about companies and people we work with but for the most part we'll simply be blogging about stories and events which we find interesting.

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22nd
SEP

Ryanair to allow passengers the chance to smoke on flights

Posted by Brian | Filed under air

: Image via Wikipedia

eTravel are reporting that budget Irish carrier Ryanair is to begin selling smokeless cigarettes on board its flights.

Despite a ban on smoking on commercial flights being since the 1990’s Ryanair’s cigarettes will, in fact, be smokeless, allowing passengers who smoke to feed their nicotine habit during the flight. The cigarettes, which will also be made of plastic will sell in packs of ten for around €6 and will supply only a small amount of nicotine when inhaled.

According to the airline the cigarettes will cause no discomfort to non-smoking passengers, while they will also contain no toxins or chemicals.

Ryanair spokesman Stephen McNamara said of the new cigarettes: “As these cigarettes are smokeless they cause no discomfort to other passengers and can ensure a more enjoyable and stress free flight for all passengers as non-smokers will no longer have to cope with moody smokers in need of nicotine.”

One wonders how long it will be before Ryanair impose a smoking tax on flights where these cigarettes become available…

Tags: air travel, airlines, Ryanair, smoking

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3rd
SEP

EasyJet cuts Luton flights and axes East Midlands

Posted by Brian | Filed under air

: Image via Wikipedia

Budget airline carrier, EasyJet, has announced it will be cutting services from Luton airport by 20% and will also be closing its base at East Midlands airport.

Bearing similarities to chief market rival Ryanair, the airline has blamed rising costs at Luton, where the airline has its head office claiming there has been a rise of 25% in costs over the past three years. Meanwhile, its East Midlands operation will be moved to more profitable bases after becoming stagnant. Ryanair recently announced plans to stop using Manchester International due to concerns over airport charges.

A statement from easyJet said:

“The proposals to reduce flying at Luton are a function of the airport’s failure to recognise the commercial realities of the recession and that easyJet has opportunities to move capacity to more attractive locations elsewhere in its network as weaker competitors retrench in today’s tough climate… Airport costs at Luton have risen by 25% over the past three years which makes the base no longer competitive.”

However, easyJet claimed its overall growth plan would remain unchanged from its projected 7.5% per year.

It’s a tough time for the aviation industry and the latest announcement by EasyJet is another hammer blow to the industry. Jobs are likely to be axed at both Luton and East Midlands, where EasyJet have a fleet of just three aircraft at the airport.

Tags: East Midlands Airport, EasyJet, Luton, Ryanair

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17th
AUG

Ryanair to pull flights out of Manchester

Posted by Brian | Filed under air

: Image via Wikipedia

A report in the Independent online claims that budget airline Ryanair will close or switch most of its ten routes away from Manchester airport from October. Ryanair have blamed the airport’s refusal to lower its charges as the main reason for the decision which could see as many as 600 local jobs being lost.

The cutback will see around 40 Ryanair flights per week lost at Manchester airport, while passenger footfall could drop by as much as 60,000 as a result. However, Ryanair claimed it had offered the airport an additional 28 flights which would have increased footfall by around 400,000 and created 400 jobs if the airport would reduce its charges, but this was rejected by airport bosses.

Routes which will cease to operate include flights from Manchester to/from Barcelona Girona, Bremen, Brussels Charleoi, Cagliari, Dusseldorf Weeze, Frankfurt Hahn, Marseille, Milan Bergamo and Shannon. All will stop running from 1st October this year.

Affected passengers will be contacted directly by Ryanair and offered a full refund or an alternative flight from competing, lower cost airports including East Midlands airport and Liverpool John Lennon airport.

“Ryanair continues to lower fares to encourage travel, but with passengers paying lower fares airports must lower their charges – particularly high-cost airports like Manchester, Stansted and Dublin. Ryanair had offered new routes, traffic and growth to Manchester airport but since they prefer to preserve their high-cost base than to grow, Ryanair will now switch or close nine Manchester routes,” said Ryanair spokesman Stephen McNamara.