Ryanair may charge £1 for lavatory use

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Ryanair is considering charging passengers £1 ($1.40) to use the lavatory on its flights, according to chief executive Michael O’Leary.

In an interview on BBC television this morning, Mr O’Leary said that the low-cost airline was looking at the possibility of installing a coin slot on the lavatory door so that “people might actually have to spend a pound to spend a penny.”

Ironically, in a light-hearted survey conducted by Telegraph Travel last November, we asked readers which service they thought no-frills airlines might start charging for in the future.

56 per cent of readers said that a charge for "using the loo" would be the most likely, while 31 per cent chose "reclining seats" and 11 per cent opted for "sick bags".

Rochelle Turner, head of research at Which? Holiday, condemned the proposal.

"It seems Ryanair is prepared to plumb any depth to make a fast buck and, once again, is putting profit before the comfort of its customers,” she said. “Charging people to go to the toilet might result in fewer people buying overpriced drinks on board, though - that would serve Ryanair right.”

Mr O’Leary said that Ryanair was determined to make air travel easier and more affordable.

“I don’t think there’s anybody in history gone on board a Ryanair flight with less than a pound,” he added.

Later, Ryanair spokesman Stephen McNamara said: "Michael makes a lot of this stuff up as he goes along and, while this has been discussed internally, there are no immediate plans to introduce it.

"However, this highlights Ryanair's continuing obsession with lowering costs and passing these savings on in the form of lower fares.

"Ancillary revenues, all of which are avoidable, help to reduce the cost of flying Ryanair and passengers using train and bus stations are already accustomed to paying to use the toilet so why not on airplanes?

"Not everyone uses the toilet on board one of our flights but those that do could help to reduce airfares for all passengers."

The Dublin-based airline has gained a reputation for its high booking fees and ancillary charges.

The carrier charges £30 to check in a bag, £10 to pay for flights with a debit or credit card (excluding Visa Electron), £60 to check in sports or music equipment, £15 for each kilo of excess baggage, £50 to change a flight and £100 to change the name on a ticket.

Last month, Telegraph Travel reported that Ryanair would receive £650 million in baggage charges and booking fees this year.

The airline has since introduced mobile phone use on 20 of its aircraft - at a cost of £3 per minute for calls and at least 40p per text - and proposed the removal of all check-in desks.

A spokesman for rival low-fare carrier easyJet said: "We have no plans to charge passengers £1 to use our toilets.

"Inflation appears to have gone crazy if it now costs £1 to spend a penny."

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