This article was published on January 13, 2015

Ryanair’s planning in-flight entertainment and Wi-Fi…possibly for free


Ryanair’s planning in-flight entertainment and Wi-Fi…possibly for free

Ryanair has announced that it plans to trial in-flight entertainment and Wi-Fi on some of its flights this year, reports Reuters.

The announcement is the latest in a series of moves to make the airline more appealing to business travelers. Last year, Chief Executive Michael O’Leary pledged to cease “unnecessarily pissing people off.

The airline became notorious for finding ways to levy extra charges on customers, so much so that O’Leary once joked about making passengers pay to use the onboard lavatories.

Since last year’s change in strategy, Ryanair has cut penalty charges, redesigned its famously frustrating website, invested heavily in marketing and introduced business class.

Ryanair’s Chief Technology Officer, John Hurley, said today that the airline may introduce inflight entertainment and Wi-Fi for free, subsidised by ads for companies in the destination city.

Hurley indicated that Wi-Fi will be trialled later this year on routes favoured by business travelers. Pricing hasn’t been decided yet but while light usage for tasks like email may be free, heavier usage will likely be charged.

➤ Ryanair to trial wi-fi, inflight entertainment this year [Reuters]

Image credit: Shutterstock

Read next: In-flight WiFi Outside the USA: The Complete Guide

 

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