$12 Flights Between the USA and Europe?!?

[GSTom1]

$12 flights between the USA and Europe?!? That would be cheaper than the transportation cost to get to most airports!

Is this real or just smoke and mirrors from Ryanair?

Originally Posted by USA Today12:21 PM/ET, Apr 12, 2007

Ryanair CEO talks of new trans-Atlantic carrier with $12 fares to Europe

Is the idea of a $12 flight to Europe too good to be true? Maybe not, if Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary gets his way.

Bloomberg News reports that the Ryanair chief "plans to start a no-frills trans-Atlantic airline, offering fares as low as $12, following the 'open skies' accord between the U.S. and European Union. The new airline would fly from Ryanair's existing bases including London Stansted, Dublin and Frankfurt-Hahn, O'Leary said today in a briefing to reporters. The carrier would go to secondary U.S. airports at destinations including New York, San Francisco, San Diego, Boston, Dallas and Florida," Bloomberg adds. In Europe, Ryanair is known for its rock-bottom fares -- and for its absence of even the most basic amenities.

O'Leary's trans-Atlantic effort would start in three or four years, The Associated Press quotes him as saying. Flight International magazine mentions Baltimore, Providence and Long Island's Islip/MacArthur as airports that would be top U.S. candidates for the service. O'Leary is quoted by Reuters as saying the new unit would initially be funded by private investors. "There are a lot of investors who are very keen to see a low-fare airline operate a transatlantic service, and money is the last thing we'll need," he says. Reuters adds that the trans-Atlantic unit "would be a sister or associate company rather than part of Ryanair."

The move would put the new airline up against full-service carrier like British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Lufthansa and others. Some analysts are skeptical. "Ryanair's business model to date has been superb but this could be a bridge too far,'' David Buik, an analyst at BGC Partners in London, tells Bloomberg. “He may well have to reconsider starting an airline in a market that's already incredibly competitive.''

Buik also wonders if the comments are meant to get the attention of Ireland's Aer Lingus, for which Ryanair has launched a so-far unsuccessful takeover bid. "What O'Leary wants to do is bring Aer Lingus back to the table,'' Buik says. "For Aer Lingus, being a relatively small carrier, to have somebody on your doorstep say that they're planning to fly people across the Atlantic for 12 bucks is quite damaging.''

[brickell]

While I would appreciate the options, I doubt I'd ever use it. You get what you pay for.

[Swede]

12$ is before taxes, airport fees, ...

Also, on a long trip like across the pond I'd want way better planes/service than Ryanair. It's passablr for 1,2 or 3 hours tops, but 7?

[VivaLFuego]

I'd do it, depending just how much cheaper it was than the "real" airlines after all the taxes and fees have been levied. On a 7 hour flight, if I could spend just $100 more for 10 times as much comfort, I'd do it in a heartbeat

[glowrock]

I'll believe it when I see it, honestly.

Aaron (Glowrock)

[staff]

I'm insterested in what equipment they would use.
Their 737s surely couldn't fly transatlantic, right?

[brian_b]

Ryanair maintains their low fares using 737-800s. They don't have the range to do trans-Atlantic flights (as far as I know). Is there anything out there that's as cheap to run as a 737 with the range needed to cross the Atlantic? Perhaps the 787? But if this new airline doesn't already have orders in, how do they expect to start in 3 years?


Lastly, Ryanair works ok in Europe because none of the flights are very long. Can you imagine the airline staff running up and down the aisle selling raffle tickets the whole time? Being forced to pay for every single drink or snack you want? No thanks!

[zaphod]

Maybe for $12 you get tied to the wing?

[zilfondel]

They'll probably forget to pressurize the cabin, too.

Count me out - I flew Ryanair and Ethiopian in Europe, I'd rather plunk down a few more bucks (and I'm dirt poor) and actually get someone to check my bags in. Food is nice, too...

I flew AirCanada (10 hours from Vancouver to London, I believe) and got to watch TWO movies, as well as got TWO meals - and free drinks! In coach!

[Buckeye Native 001]

Sounds like a good idea, but I'd trust Southwest with transatlantic flights more than I would Ryanair, and that's not saying much.

[Grumpy]

I don't fly with this company.
For a cross atlantic flight of 6 hours I want a good service abord and I gladly pay for it too.

[paul451]

I would trust them in terms of safety for the 7 hour flight.

However I would not like to spend 7 hours with the pople on the aircraft in a cramped cabin.

I think low-cost has its place, long haul is not for low-cost the way it is today.
If Ryanair want to develop a new concept I am all for it but it can't put its current product on the market for transatlantic flights.

How do they get $12 flights and turn a profit?

I personally believe that in europe or really anywhere, a flight of 1-3 hours is bearbale in the easyjet or Ryanair style, however people still fly normal commerical flights and I dont think there will be enough demand to get a full plane each time if your flyign out of stanstead to another second tier airport. If you have been on a plane for 7 ish hours, the last thing you want is to be in an airport far from the city or an airport with small amount of connections.

[Agent Orange]

With the extra "fees" Ryanair throws in, in addition to landing fees and taxes, I'd guess that it will probably run closer to a couple hundred. Still, though, that's incredibly cheap, especially if that were the fare during the summer.

If it were an overnight flight, you could just take an ambien or tylenol pm and be blissfully unaware of the horrific service and cramped conditions. Unless I had reason to question the safety of their aircraft, it would definitely be worth it to me. At this point in my life, I could not afford the typical transatlantic airfare during the months of june, july and august.

[Daquan13]

Originally Posted by zaphod

Maybe for $12 you get tied to the wing?

Haha!! I'm from Missouri. Sounds like a lot of smoke and mirrors or hot air to me!

[arbeiter]

I am shocked at the $12 price... I know the taxes and fees would bump it up. I would try it out once though... if it truly does launch at such low prices, there will be a mad rush. The low cost airlines in the US aren't nearly as low-cost as the European ones... the average American who hasn't been to Europe or Asia will see these prices and go nuts. I predict a riot.

[MuffinPost]

^ Ha! That's exactly what happened to me when I first started traveling here in Europe. ($1 flights to Rome?!?!) But then you add fees and such, and it ends up being around $70-$100. Which is still not bad...but you're right, Americans aren't used to seeing such low prices.

[pricemazda]

Everyone hates Ryanair. They come bottom in all customer satisfaction surveys. Their staff are bitchy and surly. You can hardly take any luggage with you without paying huge extra charges. Generally, a horrible airline even out of the low cost carriers.

I couldn't imagine sitting on a Ryanair flight for 8 hours.

[austin356]

bring on the low prices!!!!!!


If you could compare this to a retail store would this be a Walmart??? Or do they even have better service than Ryanair? Just asking cause I have never flown on any of their rockbottom carriers other than SW.

[holladay]

ryanair has some drawbacks, not the least of which is that they usually fly into secondary airports that are hard to get to. one time while i was living in paris i found a nice weekender fare to stockholm for 40E, inclusive of all taxes. i was used to taking easyjet from CDG mostly but i thought id give it a shot. well i had to pay 25E for a roundtrip bus fare to make the 90 min trip up to beauvais airport where the terminal is, i kid you not, one of those plastic white tents that people blow up for parades to sell hotdogs under! and the floor was made out of plywood... then, once i got to stockholm i was at some faraway airport that was, again, about 90 mins outside the city. so then i chalked up another 250 kronas (25E) for roundtrip bus fare once more! all told the trip cost me 90E and wasted several hours of my time on busses and after that i swore i'd never take ryanair again so long as i had to go up to beauvais to do it.

[Lexy]

Originally Posted by staff

I'm insterested in what equipment they would use.
Their 737s surely couldn't fly transatlantic, right?

Most likely 757's and perhaps 767's that will be dumped by some airlines once the 787's come online.