Ryanair Scraps Prime Membership Program After Just 8 Months

Key Points

• Ryanair ended its Prime paid membership program after just eight months due to low uptake and unprofitable results.
• The program generated €4.4 million in revenue but cost more than €6 million in discounts, serving only 55,000 members out of over 207 million annual passengers.
• Ryanair will refocus on its mass-market, low-fare model, highlighting the difficulties low-cost carriers face with loyalty subscriptions.

Summary

Ryanair has discontinued its Ryanair Prime membership program only eight months after its launch, citing insufficient membership numbers and financial losses as key reasons. Despite offering significant perks like free reserved seats and exclusive sales for €79 a year, the program attracted only 55,000 members and resulted in costs exceeding revenue. The move underscores the difficulties low-cost carriers encounter when implementing paid loyalty programs, and Ryanair will now return its focus to its core mass-market, low-fare business model.