Ryanair has decided to shut down its frequent flyer program after being active for only eight months, because the data indicated that it cost the airline more to offer this membership than the revenue brought in by the members who signed up for it. Having had over 50,000 people sign up to the program, the airline has stated that the existing members can make use of their benefits for the remainder of their annual membership, but new customers will not be able to sign up for it.
Data shows that members who have signed up for the program can save hundreds of pounds with the help of the membership for the duration of 12 months.
Ryanair’s Prime Membership Ends
Launched eight months ago, Irish carrier Ryanair recorded that 55,000 passengers signed up for the airline’s frequent flyer program called Prime. The airline, on Friday, November 28, issued a press release stating that it was closing its membership, wherein all members will have access to the perks of the membership for the remainder of their 12-month subscription, but no new members will be accepted into the program after Friday.
While the airline states that passengers signing up to the membership have generated over $5.1 million (€4.4 million / £3.5 million) in the past eight months, reports from The Guardian indicate that the membership benefits utilized by passengers cost over $6.95 million (€6 million / £5.25 million). As such, the airline has reportedly decided to end the membership scheme and continue to offer its low and discounted fares to all passengers, rather than running a special program for only a proportion of its customers.
The Guardian published the following statement from the airline’s Chief Marketing Officer, Dora Brady:
“This trial has cost more money than it generates. This level of membership, or subscription revenue does not justify the time and effort it takes to launch monthly exclusive prime seat sales for our 55,000 Prime members.”
What Exactly Was Ryanair’s Prime Membership?
Ryanair’s Prime membership, though only launched in March, is a concept that has been floating around for around six years, with the concept first introduced in 2019. However, back then, it was called “Ryanair Choice”, with the membership offerings quite different from the offerings of Ryanair Prime membership introduced earlier this year. So what exactly is included in the Ryanair Prime membership?
As per Ryanair’s website, the frequent flyer membership had an annual membership fee of $87 / $100 (€79 / £79), and was originally designed to run on a 12-month rolling basis, with the membership automatically renewing unless the member chose to cancel it. The program offers the following key benefits its members:
|
Number |
Benefit |
Additional Information |
|---|---|---|
|
1. |
12 members-only Email notification on member sales. |
Member-only sales once a month for a whole year. |
|
2. |
12 free seat selections a year. |
Subject to availability. Only in designated rows & specific flights. |
|
3. |
Travel insurance included with flights. |
Additional data published by The Guardian indicates that the cost savings afforded by the membership benefits meant that passengers who signed up for the program could potentially save anywhere between £54 and £456 throughout the 12-month period, which can be worth the cost of several flights with the carrier.
6 Years In The Making: Is Ryanair’s New Frequent Flyer Scheme A Publicity Stunt?
The new Ryanair Prime scheme has already been slammed by multiple publications.
Low-Cost Carriers & Loyalty Programs
While Ryanair has closed its frequent-flyer scheme, its competitors in Europe, Wizz Air and easyJet, do offer their own versions of loyalty programs. While these memberships cost more than Ryanair’s Prime membership, Wizz and easyJet do offer substantially more amenities for their customers, warranting the higher prices.
Wizz offers its Discount Club membership under multiple varieties, namely Standard and Premium, along with a “Plus” version of both varieties. The Standard Plus and Premium Plus are essentially suitable for group bookings. Alternatively, easyJet has its own easyJet Plus membership. Both easyJet Plus and Wizz’s Premium membership offer various amenities such as priority boarding, complimentary luggage allowance, unlimited seat selection, and more.
Outside Europe, frequent flyer programs and memberships are popular with low-cost carriers in North America, and more recently, even in Asia. Airlines such as 
Southwest Airlines and Frontier Airlines in the US have Rapid Rewards membership and Frontier Miles program, respectively. In Asia, a new frequent flyer program was launched late last year by the Indian carrier IndiGo, offering its BlueChip program.
