Consumer body Which? Holiday has lambasted suggestions that Ryanair might start charging passenger for the use of in-flight toilets.
The budget carrier’s chief executive Michael O’Leary raised the possibility during BBC TV interview this morning.
"One thing we have looked at in the past and are looking at again is the possibility of maybe putting a coin slot on the toilet door so that people might actually have to spend a pound ($1.43) to spend a penny in future," he said.
This would not inconvenience passengers travelling without cash, he claimed
"I don’t think there is anybody in history that has got on board a Ryanair aircraft with less than a pound."
Ryanair last week said it was to shut all check-in desks at airports and have passengers check in online instead as part of ongoing cuts to customer services. It is also to increase ancillary revenue by through an in-flight mobile phone service.
But Rochelle Turner, head of research at Which? Holiday, said: "It seems Ryanair is prepared to plumb any depth to make a fast buck and, once again, is putting profit before the comfort of its customers.
“Charging people to go to the toilet might result in fewer people buying overpriced drinks on board, though – that would serve Ryanair right."
A spokesman for rival Easyjet ruled out following suit, saying: “Inflation appears to have gone crazy, it now is going to cost £1 to spend a penny.”
by Phil Davies
