MSE News: Ryanair launches booking app... but at £2.49 for the pleasure

Former_MSE_Helen

"The budget airline launched the iPhone/iPad app today, yet its rivals don't charge for a similar service ..."

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Ryanair launches booking app... but at £2.49 for the pleasure

pickpocketlocket

That's nice.

Is this really newsworthy, or another dig at Ryanair?

whatmichaelsays

OMG! Ryanair in "not providing an optional service for free" shocker.

KTF

I think there would be more of an outcry if they offered something for free.

Clever move though. Might as well get some money for it to recover the development costs rather than give it away .

tell_it_how_it_is

They've never had a penny from me, and they never will.

I'd rather walk!! :rotfl:

mmillie

My prediction is that their next step will be to block access to do bookings from the web browser on your iPhone and iPad - that way you are forced to use their app.

Martin

SaveTheEuro

It might be worth buying if it allows you to research dates without having to keep inputting security codes. Anyone tried it? Does it dispense with security codes?

NFH

This is like being charged to enter a supermarket if you walk in from the car park entrance, but still free of charge if you walk in through the main entrance. What a ridiculous idea by Ryanair.

pickpocketlocket

SaveTheEuro wrote: »

It might be worth buying if it allows you to research dates without having to keep inputting security codes. Anyone tried it? Does it dispense with security codes?

Have you tried using the .ie site? They display prices over a wider range on the same screen.

NFH wrote: »

This is like being charged to enter a supermarket if you walk in from the car park entrance, but still free of charge if you walk in through the main entrance. What a ridiculous idea by Ryanair.

Good analogy - and just shows how consumers have choice.

SaveTheEuro

pickpocketlocket wrote: »

Have you tried using the .ie site? They display prices over a wider range on the same screen.

It is the same experience. Security codes are required. Same range of fares shown.

NFH

My guess is that Ryanair are seeing how much revenue they get from this app (70% of the app price) and they'll probably make it free once nobody buys it. When the app eventually appears on AppShopper, it would be worth setting an alert for when it drops in price to zero. Lots of apps yo-yo in price, often being free for a day or a week, and this one might do the same.

The only value added functionality I can think of would be mobile boarding passes. This is something that other airlines offer for free, but it would save having to print boarding passes which has already become quite an old-fashioned practice. This is the only reason I can think that a regular Ryanair customer would consider paying for the app; most people don't book while on the move, but they often need check-in and boarding pass functionality on the move.