The way to do it: Michael O'Leary

Red Alert · 31-08-2006 2:45pm #1

What a pity there aren't more people like Michael O'Leary around. Yesterday morning he waited in the standard departure lounge with the rest of the ryanair passengers on my flight to stansted. When the boarding gate opened he went up, threw his bag behind the desk and helped with the boarding card check. He was extremely casual, yet fast and professional. After I'd boarded Michael got on and sat down in an unreserved seat like anybody else. I didn't see him getting off, but I suspect he travelled right though like anybody else.

Two things in particular about him that this forum should notice:

The old saying, eat your own dogfood. He knows well what the situation on the ground is, so when he's on the radio either attacking the airport or defending his own airline's performance he knows exactly what the situation is.

He mucked in and helped out. Whether it was purely selfish, either to get everyone on so he gets off as quick as possible or as a PR stunt, or whether it was genuinely helping out the staff it doesn't matter.

Iranrod Eireann would do well to poach him. Aer Lingus always was and is a government suck, so I'm not sure he would have had a good canvas to work on. Dublin bus would also do well to have him. A grave loss to many companys, but a big well done to him.

Slice · 31-08-2006 3:05pm

In fairness he could hardly be seen to be flying on another airline could he, and it's not like his own offers business class or reserved seating.

BuffyBot · 31-08-2006 3:50pm

He has flown other airlines, and he's fairly reknowned for getting his hands dirty on occasions. A bit of a budget Branson

Davidth88 · 31-08-2006 4:11pm

Love him or loath him , he seems to know how to run an airline, while other airlines flounder they seem to go from strength to strength

On a personal level , I dislike the Ryanair stance on disabled people and several other things but not so much I won't fly with them if they are the cheapest

( which often when you add up all their little extra's like baggage charges and CC charges they are not ! )

31-08-2006 4:16pm

I love the guy. if he had been in charge of public transport, dublin would be a beautiful place. No worries about comfort, all buses would be standing room only, but the journey times would be down so much you'd only stand for 20 mins max.

Brilliant man. Complete business genius. Due a lot of respect imo.

BendiBus · 31-08-2006 4:25pm

Deleted User wrote:

I love the guy. if he had been in charge of public transport, dublin would be a beautiful place. No worries about comfort, all buses would be standing room only, but the journey times would be down so much you'd only stand for 20 mins max.

Brilliant man. Complete business genius. Due a lot of respect imo.

How is he a genius? All he did was copy Herb Kelleher and take the idea to an extreme (this is after he initially wanted to shut Ryanair down!)

As for 20 minute trips on PT, how would he do this? Put a snowplough on the front of a bus and shove traffic out of the way?

I don't think mich of MO'L although I use Ryanair about once a month. Nothing wrong with the airline as such.

Chris_533976 · 31-08-2006 4:31pm

PR stunt I'd say. Well, partly. This is probobly him taking a normal flight and just mucking in a bit to make himself look good.

Dont forget this is the man who introduced baggage charges. Bet he didnt pay those.

Yes, he knows how to run an airline, especially after September 11th. He has revolutionised air travel.

But he knows how to make money through stealth methods on a €0.99 flight.

Wishbone Ash · 31-08-2006 4:31pm

Deleted User wrote:

if he had been in charge of public transport, dublin would be a beautiful place. No worries about comfort, all buses would be standing room only

He would cut out all the unprofitable routes leaving probably just the 46A. Beautiful Place allright. :rolleyes:

Ryanair's priority is to make money (nothing wrong with that). Therefore, they will only run on profitable routes. Providing a service to the customer comes second. If it does not make money - they won't provide it. Don't fool yourself.

If all buses were standing room only, then they would be limited to 64kph - not much use on those outer routes which use dual carriageways.

BendiBus · 31-08-2006 4:49pm

Red Alert wrote:

threw his bag behind the desk and helped with the boarding card check.

Was he wearing ID with the appropriate credentials to carry out this important security procedure?

Deleted User wrote:

I love the guy. if he had been in charge of public transport, dublin would be a beautiful place. No worries about comfort, all buses would be standing room only, but the journey times would be down so much you'd only stand for 20 mins max.

And if anyone else tried to offer a bus service, MO'L would move a huge fleet onto the route until he drove the competition out of business, then withdraw from the route altogether. Ask Easyjet at Cork/Knock

El Stuntman · 31-08-2006 4:55pm

how I would love to see Mick O'Leary take over Dublin Bus or IE....

professore · 31-08-2006 5:15pm

BendiBus wrote:

How is he a genius? All he did was copy Herb Kelleher and take the idea to an extreme (this is after he initially wanted to shut Ryanair down!)

As for 20 minute trips on PT, how would he do this? Put a snowplough on the front of a bus and shove traffic out of the way?

I don't think mich of MO'L although I use Ryanair about once a month. Nothing wrong with the airline as such.

He's a genius at making money for himself and Ryanair. Also a genius at generating publicity. What would he have to do to be a genius in your book - Invent an antigravity engine or something?

Slice · 31-08-2006 5:16pm

He would cut out all the unprofitable routes leaving probably just the 46A.

Except under O'Leary the 46A would only go as far as Dun Laoghaire-Deans Grange, and the bus driver would recommend Hertz Car Rental at special promotional rates for 46A passengers in order to make it into Dun Laoghaire town centre and surroundings.

Red Alert · 31-08-2006 5:49pm

Well aside from ryanair's operation, Dublin Airport is the most inefficiently run place. No amount of 'refurbishment' will deal with what is a staffing and ideological problem.

I think the man is an absolute legend.

Wishbone Ash · 31-08-2006 6:13pm

Slice wrote:

Except under O'Leary the 46A would only go as far as Dun Laoghaire-Deans Grange, and the bus driver would recommend Hertz Car Rental at special promotional rates for 46A passengers in order to make it into Dun Laoghaire town centre and surroundings.

LOL

:D:D

Red Alert wrote:

I think the man is an absolute legend

You are easily impressed (fooled!).

El Stuntman wrote:

how I would love to see Mick O'Leary take over Dublin Bus or IE....

I take it that you don't use either then!

PhoenixRising · 31-08-2006 8:19pm

Red Alert wrote:

Aer Lingus always was and is a government suck, so I'm not sure he would have had a good canvas to work on.

That's rubbish. Aer Lingus hasn't had a government subsidy since the mid-nineties. Since then Aer Lingus has been a net contributor to Irish Revenue, and is now one of the most profitable airlines in the world.

As for MOL - he's an ignorant knacker. Good business man though, I'll give him that.

Red Alert · 31-08-2006 9:02pm

i'm not saying cash-wise. it's more an ideological "if the government say jump we say how high" mentality.

SeanW · 01-09-2006 12:32am

Personally, sometimes I think MOL can be a bit of a tosser sometimes but I like him because he's not afraid to say things that sometimes need to be said, and in a very noticeable PR stunt-ish way that pulls no punches. I respect that even though I don't always agree with him.

I don't use his airline though and I wouldn't like to see his overhaul of Irish Rail.

Methinks those new CAF coaches running the Dublin Cork railway would become 29000 class commuter railcars to a cheaper terminus in Killarney with a discount on rented cars ...

The way to do it: Michael O'Leary

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