Ryanair launches subscription service offering insurance and discounted flights

Reuters

Ryanair has launched an annual subscription service that gives members reserved seating, insurance and access to monthly seat sales for €79 per year.

The Dublin-based airline, Europe's largest by passenger numbers, will initially limit membership of the "prime" service to 250,000, which would earn it €19.75 million per year if fully subscribed.

Subscribers can purchase up to 12 flights a year, one each month and will be able to reserve one of the allocated "prime" seats as long as one is available.

The package also includes travel insurance covering cancellations arising from a range of circumstances, delays, stolen baggage and, in most cases, medical treatment.

The airline said customers fully availing of the service and booking a maximum permitted 12 flights a year could potentially save up to five times the subscription cost while even those booking three flights can more than cover their €79 outlay.

Ryanair’s chief marketing officer Dara Brady is quoted as describing the offer as "a no brainer".

Rival low-cost airline Wizz last year launched a "MultiPass" subscription service that locks in the price of one flight per month for a set price, with checked-in bag and priority status options.

Spanish online travel booking firm eDreams also has a "prime" service, which offers discounts, ticket refunds and the ability to hold tickets at a given price.