Thursday, June 04, 2009

Budget Airline to Charge for Toilet Use - The Lede Blog - NYTimes.com:

Faced with an annual loss for the first time in two decades, Ryanair, the European budget airline, confirmed on Tuesday that it plans to start charging passengers for the luxury of using the toilet on its jets.

Mr. O’Leary added that Boeing’s research department should have time to focus on his new toilet concept soon, since the “war in Iraq and Afghanistan is winding down.” Presumably he is also hoping they will start applying themselves to making a pilotless drone with seats for 200 as well.

The Daily Mail reports that Ryanair plans to “scrap all of its airport check-in desks” later this year and charge passengers for the privilege of checking themselves in online. What’s next, having passengers load their own bags onto the aircraft? Well, yes. The Mail reports that “new baggage measures, which would see passengers replace baggage handlers to load luggage onto aircraft” are “under discussion” at Ryanair.