Micheal o' Leary, love him or Hate him...

mickdw · 09-09-2010 12:12AM

To be fair Im sure I heard him giving full credit to S Brennan for having the foresight etc in what he did in opening up the market to them.
Also O Leary is right for the most part about the stupidity of our governement allowing rising airport charges among other things when most countries are fighting to get flights in with huge reductions to the airlines.

Sprouts · 09-09-2010 12:22AM

There's no leeway with Ryanair, customer care is by far the worst going, but I suppose if your'e want to pay dirtcheap fares and get treated like **** they can fling that **** all over Europe.

heyjude · 09-09-2010 12:47AM

feelingstressed wrote: »

He is constantly criticizing the government and DAA

How quickly he forgets that Seamus Brennan took Aer Lingus off the Standstead and Luton Dublin routes and gave it to Ryanair.
They were seriously struggling, not far off closing and got handed profitable routes, pretty much a bail out

Easy to lash government interference and every government minister except Seamus Brennan basically secured their survival and opportunities to grow from there.

Nothing magic about Ryanair management,

I think you forgot a few little details though, Ryanair started flying from Dublin to Luton in May 1986, which AFAIK was before Aer Lingus flew that route and in May 1989 Ryanair announced they were opening the Dublin - Stansted route and Aer Lingus shortly afterwards commenced their own flights to Stansted. Clearly Aer Lingus were trying to drive Ryanair off these routes(and possibly out of business) with predatory pricing(as this was before Ryanair had fully developed the low cost model it has today).

So how were Ryanair handed profitable routes, when these routes didn't exist before Ryanair ? I think what actually happened is that Aer Lingus were forced to stop predatory pricing and this combined with the adoption by Ryanair of the low cost model led to their survival.

Mark200 · 09-09-2010 08:49AM

boodlesdoodles wrote: »

Aer Lingus may charge €24 for a bag up to 20kg with Ryanair it costs €30 for a bag up to 15kg and €50 up to 20kg. That's one reason why I'm flying with Aer Lingus to London in a few weeks.

You know, you can get 15kg on Ryanair for €15 and 20kg for €25 if you just book it online............

http://www.ryanair.com/ie/questions/table-of-fees

Wade in the Sea wrote: »

There are over 30 other airlines flying to/from Ireland and they are all better than Ryanair at virtually everything. If you have the choice for about 50 quid more to fly with decent airline you would be daft not to.

Call me daft, but I don't see the point in paying €50 extra for an inch or two of extra leg room and the occasional smile for a couple of hours.

heyjude wrote: »

I think you forgot a few little details though, Ryanair started flying from Dublin to Luton in May 1986, which AFAIK was before Aer Lingus flew that route and in May 1989 Ryanair announced they were opening the Dublin - Stansted route and Aer Lingus shortly afterwards commenced their own flights to Stansted. Clearly Aer Lingus were trying to drive Ryanair off these routes(and possibly out of business) with predatory pricing(as this was before Ryanair had fully developed the low cost model it has today).

So how were Ryanair handed profitable routes, when these routes didn't exist before Ryanair ? I think what actually happened is that Aer Lingus were forced to stop predatory pricing and this combined with the adoption by Ryanair of the low cost model led to their survival.

It wasn't just predatory pricing, they were actually operating these routes at a loss (at a cost to taxpayers) just to kick Ryanair out of business.

Einhard · 09-09-2010 08:58AM

I think he's hilarious, excellent at what he does, probably brilliant at a party, and I'd say he'd be great to be friends with. But I just can't bring myself to like him. He's one of these people who see those who disagree with him as not just wrong, but retarded too. And he seems quite vindictive, and petty at times.

_feedback_ · 09-09-2010 09:14AM

I think fareplay to him. He has made a fortune for himself, because he is bloody good at what he does. I don't know, fully, what kind of a person he is, because all I see/hear is what he portrays through his business life.

I couldn't believe the OUTRAGE a couple of years ago when he bought a taxi plate to get to the airport quicker. I thought it was a great idea!

Having said all that, I'd imagine it would be a nightmare working for him.

jezko · 09-09-2010 03:23PM

elviscostello wrote: »

I think fareplay to him. He has made a fortune for himself, because he is bloody good at what he does. I don't know, fully, what kind of a person he is, because all I see/hear is what he portrays through his business life.

I couldn't believe the OUTRAGE a couple of years ago when he bought a taxi plate to get to the airport quicker. I thought it was a great idea!

Having said all that, I'd imagine it would be a nightmare working for him.

Have to admit I wasn't Impressed about the taxi plates...
But If I could a job with Ryanair, I think I would now .... Just hope I could work on a economically sucessfull viable route. he's not Shy about making "Cut's" when needed

CokaColumbo · 09-09-2010 03:26PM

I think he should be put in charge of streamlining government agencies, departments and semi state bodies; God knows we need someone to do it.

PeterIanStaker · 09-09-2010 03:39PM

He's a self made man and he definitely didn't get where he is by being nice. Nothing against him, he's just part of the scenery, and still better than a shill.

Pherekydes · 09-09-2010 03:40PM

Terry wrote: »

I like him.

I'll bet you'd change your mind if he took over your local.

"All pints are free!"

"What do you mean, you don't like slops?"

"And you can't sit there, you didn't register for that seat online"

"Where's the loo? Have you got your credit card handy?"

And, of course, all the barmen are let go as the floor staff take their place.

markpb · 09-09-2010 03:40PM

Sprouts wrote: »

There's no leeway with Ryanair, customer care is by far the worst going, but I suppose if your'e want to pay dirtcheap fares and get treated like **** they can fling that **** all over Europe.

I've flown Ryanair a few times and never had any problems. The scare stories about the lack of legroom, lost luggage and shirty attitudes from staff have proven totally un-true. The planes have left on time (except for yesterdays flight), arrived early and didn't kill me. I've flown AL and BMI on similar length flights and noticed no difference. Maybe I've been lucky?

snyper wrote: »

I think hes a great business man, but i wouldnt like to work for him

I know a few people who have brothers/sisters/husbands working there and they all enjoy it. They're all admin staff or maintenance though - I guess it could be different for air crew.

_feedback_ · 09-09-2010 03:49PM

Pherekydes wrote: »

I'll bet you'd change your mind if he took over your local.

"All pints are free!"

"What do you mean, you don't like slops?"

"And you can't sit there, you didn't register for that seat online"

"Where's the loo? Have you got your credit card handy?"

And, of course, all the barmen are let go as the floor staff take their place.

Plus of course the local wouldn't actually be local, it'd be a 90 minute bus journey away!

Mark200 · 09-09-2010 04:12PM

Pherekydes wrote: »

I'll bet you'd change your mind if he took over your local.

"All pints are free!"

"What do you mean, you don't like slops?"

"And you can't sit there, you didn't register for that seat online"

"Where's the loo? Have you got your credit card handy?"

And, of course, all the barmen are let go as the floor staff take their place.

:rolleyes:

Ryanair's model is successful because people pay for what they use. Bringing baggage to the plane from the airport costs money, so why should someone without bags pay the same price for a ticket as someone with bags? Checking in at the airport costs money, so why should someone who checks in online pay the same as someone who checks in at the airport?

who what when · 09-09-2010 04:14PM

I actually quiet like Michael O Leary. Funny though because i wouldnt even consider getting a ryanair flight!

_feedback_ · 09-09-2010 04:15PM

Mark200 wrote: »

:rolleyes:

Ryanair's model is successful because people pay for what they use. Bringing baggage to the plane from the airport costs money, so why should someone without bags pay the same price for a ticket as someone with bags? Checking in at the airport costs money, so why should someone who checks in online pay the same as someone who checks in at the airport?

Ah Michael Mark , he was only jokin' !

sellerbarry · 09-09-2010 04:48PM

If it wasn't for him, we would still be getting raped by aer lingus etc.. Nuff said.:)

Rocky_Dennis · 09-09-2010 04:49PM

I like him, he is brilliant at what he does.

When asked about his wedding.

Reporter: Will your wife to be, be on time for your wedding?

MOL: Of course she wont, she is flying Aer Lingus.

Quality.

Rented Mule · 09-09-2010 07:24PM

snyper wrote: »

.. and the first person that thinks hed be good to run the country in any shape or form shows how disconnected from reality you are.

Just getting that in there

The problem is that the people who (would) put him into office would be the first ones to complain once he went about doing his job.

The country could use a 'ruthless' business man to start cutting the waste and putting things in order, but in reality, that is never going to happen.

AckwelFoley · 09-09-2010 10:03PM

Rented Mule wrote: »

The problem is that the people who (would) put him into office would be the first ones to complain once he went about doing his job.

The country could use a 'ruthless' business man to start cutting the waste and putting things in order, but in reality, that is never going to happen.

Fully agreed.

People spend waaaay to much time whinging about politicians getting money for this and that and it takes up 90% of the medias time finding another scandal for 10% of the problem, when infact the biggest elephant in the room is our MASSIVE, and i mean MASSIVE social welfare / services bill, couple coupled with our incrediblely inefficent public sector which the country cant afford.

Social welfare should be increasingly coupled with back to work schemes, cut out much of the red tape and costs associated with employing people, and using money saved from cutting real waste to create jobs and encourage investment.

You see, i dont disagree that some politicians are taking the mick with expenses and that the banks took a wholly irrisponsible method of lending money, but whinging about ivor getting 60k for this or bertie having a full time driver or cutting double pensions for TD's is all well and good, but its inneffective, while it may make "us" feel better for tackleing it - the reality is that it saves little in the grander scheme of things.

The reality is, Mary Harney and Brian Lenihan well know how to make savings, sadly, when you start cutting services there are always people effected, then try to cut hours / jobs in the public service you have unions diggin in

Wade in the Sea · 12-09-2010 06:52PM

Mark200 wrote: »

Call me daft, but I don't see the point in paying €50 extra for an inch or two of extra leg room and the occasional smile for a couple of hours.

In fairness if that was the only difference then true enough, it wouldn't make a difference. But the full service airlines provide you with a proper service, stuff like your seat being assigned so you don't have that horrible free for all when boarding, you can checkin by phone or online or at the airport free of charge, and you get a real baggage allowance so you bring what you need not what you can. Some airlines are even 23kilos now which you need if you have small kids.

As regards the staff smiling, I find a lot of them are boarderline rude. And that comes from the top. O'Leary revels in the fact that he is not liked. I honestly don't know any other service provider who believes it is not important to be friendly with your customers?

Hail 2 Da Thief · 12-09-2010 07:19PM

I think he's hilarious!

Micheal o' Leary, love him or Hate him...

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