Ryanair Axes Frequent Flyers Scheme After Members Exploit Discounts
The budget airline has shut down its frequent flyers scheme just eight months after launch, citing that customers took advantage of the discounts too much. The decision comes after 55,000 passengers signed up to Prime, generating €4.4m in subscription fees but receiving over €6m in benefits.
According to Ryanair's chief marketing officer Dara Brady, the membership program was not financially viable due to high membership rates and excessive claims. "This trial has cost more money than it generates," he said. "The 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."
The airline's move marks a significant shift in its approach to frequent flyers. Instead of offering discounts specifically to Prime members, Ryanair will now offer general flight discounts to all customers. The scheme, which was launched in February at €79 per year, offered benefits including free reserved seating on up to 12 flights and travel insurance.
Critics argue that the membership model was designed to lure more customers into the airline's pocket, with experts suggesting it could have saved passengers thousands of euros in flight costs. With seat prices ranging from £4.50 to £38, Prime members could have potentially saved several low-fare flights by taking advantage of the discounts.
Despite the closure, Ryanair assured Prime members that they would continue to enjoy exclusive flight and seat savings until October 2026. However, no new members will be able to sign up for the scheme after November 28.
The budget airline has shut down its frequent flyers scheme just eight months after launch, citing that customers took advantage of the discounts too much. The decision comes after 55,000 passengers signed up to Prime, generating €4.4m in subscription fees but receiving over €6m in benefits.
According to Ryanair's chief marketing officer Dara Brady, the membership program was not financially viable due to high membership rates and excessive claims. "This trial has cost more money than it generates," he said. "The 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."
The airline's move marks a significant shift in its approach to frequent flyers. Instead of offering discounts specifically to Prime members, Ryanair will now offer general flight discounts to all customers. The scheme, which was launched in February at €79 per year, offered benefits including free reserved seating on up to 12 flights and travel insurance.
Critics argue that the membership model was designed to lure more customers into the airline's pocket, with experts suggesting it could have saved passengers thousands of euros in flight costs. With seat prices ranging from £4.50 to £38, Prime members could have potentially saved several low-fare flights by taking advantage of the discounts.
Despite the closure, Ryanair assured Prime members that they would continue to enjoy exclusive flight and seat savings until October 2026. However, no new members will be able to sign up for the scheme after November 28.
... wait, nope! 
I mean, it's bad that they're closing it down because passengers took advantage of the discounts. But at the same time, it was probably just going to be too expensive for them to run and not worth it 
. Yeah, but what about all those people who are going to miss out on the free travel insurance? 
That's a bummer... unless they're just going to get cheaper flights from somewhere else anyway 
. I guess Ryanair is doing everyone a favor by simplifying their discounts and not making it too complicated for passengers to navigate 
. But honestly, who really uses frequent flyers schemes that much? 
And those 55k Prime members just took advantage of the discounts too much... like, what's the point of having a membership program if people are gonna use it for every flight they take? 
It's not exactly rocket science. I mean, I get why they wanted to offer exclusive deals to loyal customers, but this approach just didn't work out 
. And now they're reverting back to their old ways, offering general discounts to all customers... might as well be like everyone getting a birthday cake with no strings attached 
I'm like soooo frustrated when I see airlines exploiting their customers like this! 
. And those 55k passengers who signed up thought they were getting a sweet deal too 
If an airline's scheme is basically bankrupting them, then maybe that's not the best idea to start with 
. Now Ryanair's going back to its old ways of offering discounts to everyone, which might not be as bad... but still, it's kinda sad that they had to shut down a program that could've saved people some serious cash 
️ now that's a good idea - can't go wrong with saving money on flights. November 28th marks the end of an era 