"If you're looking for loyalty, get a dog," Ryanair CEO says "NO" once and for all to the idea of creating a loyalty program
Those hoping for a change of course by Ryanair must give up: the Irish low-cost carrier will not [...]
Ryanair
Those who hope for a change of course on the part of Ryanair, they must surrender: the Irish low-cost carrier has no intention of having its own loyalty program.
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In a recent interview with The Independent the CEO of Ryanair was, as his usual, very clear and unabashedly thundered, "If you're looking for loyalty, get a dog. If you want the lowest airfares in Europe, fly Ryanair".
Why? Why is it that if all (or most) airlines in the world, including low-costs, have a loyalty program Ryanair, on the other hand, goes against the grain? It is quickly said. "I don't understand why if you're already paying the lowest fares in Europe," O'Leary added, "and therefore you're already getting a benefit by saving money every time you fly with us, should you need a loyalty program? It is clear: Ryanair and its CEO do not care about customer loyalty. Or rather: they are interested, sure, but not through the creation of a loyalty program; for the Irish company the lowest and most competitive rates were (and still are) the Most useful tool to lead passenger to fly Ryanair always and only.
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The only European low-cost to have is a real loyalty program is Vueling. The carrier owned by the IAG group - the holding company that owns Iberia, Air Lingus and British Airways - with its Vueling club allows you to accumulate Avios: if you book from the Vueling site you will earn Avios based on the amount of your purchase, conversely if you buy a ticket from the Iberia or British Airways site you will be able to earn Avios based on the miles you travel.
To be fair, another low-cost one as well, Transavia, allows you to accumulate points: being owned by Air France-KLM, Transavia participates in Flying Blue and for that you can accumulate not only FB points but also XP points (very useful if, for example, you chase status).
All other low-cost carriers, however, don't have a loyalty program but a kind of subscription: Volotea, for example, with "Megavolotea" offers mostly discounts (only if you subscribe to "Megavolotea plus" do you have any real benefits, for example, priority boarding, hand luggage included, and free flight change). Also Wizz Air has something similar: those who subscribe to the Wizz Discount Club is entitled to discounts on both airfares and baggage boarding.
easyJet, finally, does not offer a loyalty program but a kind of "secret club": it is called "Flight Club" and can be accessed only by invitation from easyJet. The advantages? Price guarantee (Should a cheaper equivalent flight be found with another airline, easyJet agrees to refund the difference), price promise (in the event that, after booking a flight on the easyjet website or app, you find the same flight on the website or app at a lower cost, you will be entitled to a refund of the difference in the form of a voucher), and free flight change.
