From the This is Not a Good Idea Dept.: Ryanair may charge £1 for lavatory use

Posted by Kendall Harmon

In an interview on BBC television this morning, [Ryanair CEO] Mr [Michael] O’Leary said that the low-cost airline was looking at the possibility of installing a coin slot on the lavatory door so that “people might actually have to spend a pound to spend a penny.”

Ironically, in a light-hearted survey conducted by Telegraph Travel last November, we asked readers which service they thought no-frills airlines might start charging for in the future.

56 per cent of readers said that a charge for "using the loo" would be the most likely, while 31 per cent chose "reclining seats" and 11 per cent opted for "sick bags".

Read it all.

Filed under: * Culture-Watch • Travel • * Economics, Politics • Economy • * International News & Commentary • Europe

11 Comments
Posted February 27, 2009 at 12:10 pm [Printer Friendly] [Print w/ comments]



1. Bryan McKenzie wrote:

Sounds like Ryanair to me.

February 27, 2:15 pm | [comment link]
2. William P. Sulik wrote:

I’m not sure if this is worse than having to pay a fee to file your tax returns…


“I’d Buy That For A Dollar!”

February 27, 2:22 pm | [comment link]
3. SouthCoast wrote:

Looks like those infamous NASA astronaut diapers are about to become a must for the thrifty traveller!

February 27, 2:49 pm | [comment link]
4. Irenaeus wrote:

I’m not sure if this is worse than having to pay a fee to file your tax returns

But it won’t elicit nearly the same caterwauling.

February 27, 4:18 pm | [comment link]
5. evan miller wrote:

Lots of folks while travelling abroad suffer from varying degrees of “Delhi Belly” or Montezuma’s revenge.  Not a good plan on Ryanair’s part.  Also, their remark about train and bus stations is irrelevant.  One doesn’t have to pay to use the toilet on trains or buses.

February 27, 4:41 pm | [comment link]
6. GrandpaDino wrote:

Those air sickness bags might be useful for other purposes on Ryanair!

February 27, 8:30 pm | [comment link]
7. Sick & Tired of Nuance wrote:

What a stinky way to treat the customer!  Some executive should have pooh-poohed the idea right away.  I don’t think that Ryanair will be flushed with money becuase of it.  There must be dozens of alternatives they could come up with in lieu of this new fee.  It is a very potty idea. [/puns]

February 27, 8:40 pm | [comment link]
8. azusa wrote:

... but it might cause a chain reaction, people will be bowled over, politicians may have a wide stance on this, some will say it’s plumb- crazy, others will say they’re being p….. from a great height…

February 28, 10:09 am | [comment link]
9. libraryjim wrote:

I remember visiting cities where there was a coin operated lock on the stalls.  We’d find an occupied one and wait until the gentleman came out and grab the door before it clicked shut. wink

But watching the ‘Brit-coms’ on PBS, one of Mrs. Slocombe’s euphemisms for visiting the “Lady’s” is “I have to spend a penny!”, referring to those same coin operated locks but in Britain.

But, £1? It just means inflation has hit! And more people will be waiting for ‘the current occupant’ to leave before entering for free.

February 28, 11:13 am | [comment link]
10. Kendall Harmon wrote:

I didn’t have time to see it until this morning, but was interested to find this story made last night’s NBC Evening News.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032619/#29436337

February 28, 3:39 pm | [comment link]
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