Ryanair backs Kerry for final with fare hike
RYANAIR is so confident that Kerry will reach the All-Ireland football final that it has hiked charges on its Dublin/Kerry route on the weekend of the final.
Just after being awarded the Public Service Obligation (PSO) contract to operate the route from Kerry to the capital, the fares on All-Ireland day jumped by an incredible 559pc.
When booking online at 3pm last Friday week, the total return fare for two people on September 21 to Dublin came to €309 -- 240pc more than the cost of the same flights on the previous Sunday or the Sunday after the All-Ireland.
But just two hours later the fare rose to €600 for two people.
In contrast, the airline's fare from Cork to Dublin for two people on All-Ireland day was just €93.
The price was hiked before Kerry had even played their first championship match.
Although it's a vote of confidence for the Kerry team, it will cause consternation amongst fans who make the pilgrimage to Croke Park to watch their team play.
Ryanair said they are now considering offering Kerry manager Pat O'Shea free flights out of the county if Kerry fail to make it to the final.
"Within one hour of putting Kerry-Dublin flights on sale, 20 passengers had booked day return flights on All-Ireland Sunday, snapping up the lowest fare class on the flights," a spokesperson said.
The airline has promised to double annual capacity flying from Kerry to Dublin and back from 200,000 to 400,000. They will operate three daily flights to the capital.
They also claim there will be a reduction of €1.3m over the next three years on the cost to the taxpayer of the public service contract.
Just last week, Ryanair announced that it is to introduce charges from June 3 for priority boarding, despite previously using it as a perk to encourage people to check in online. Less than a year after promising free online check-in, the airline is introducing a new €5 charge for passengers who want to avail of priority boarding.
Checking in a bag with Ryanair now costs €10 each way, after the latest increase came in on May 5. On the same date, airport check-in charges rose to €5, marking the second rise since their August introduction.
Meanwhile, it is expected that the airline will decommission 20 aeroplanes in order to cut costs and reduce its losses after the cost of a barrel of oil rose.
- Edel Kennedy
