Ryanair’s dirty tricks
Tough sales targets and poor working conditions ‘Zero-hours contracts and cleaning every 8 days’ HOW AIRLINE MILKS PASSENGERS & CREW
AS unprecedented flight cancellations ground hundreds of thousands of passengers, Ryanair is giving a whole new meaning to “no frills”.
Now a Daily Mirror investigation has uncovered astonishing claims of tactics the budget airline uses to squeeze more profit from passengers – and staff.
If you thought flying with the budget carrier involved hidden costs, spare a thought for the crew.
Yesterday we told how hundreds of disillusioned staff are seeking new jobs with rival airlines, no longer able to put up with the poor pay and conditions.
Today we reveal details of the grumbles in the galleys...
CABIN CREW
CABIN crew say they have to use pushy sales techniques on flights to meet targets – or face disciplinary action.
Staff are threatened with punishments, such as being moved to different bases, if targets are not met.
One crew member said: “We have targets including duty free, scratchcards and food. If we didn’t sell enough we have to explain why. When you’re bottom of the monthly sales chart you get a letter asking you to improve your performance or they’ll reconsider your position.”
In a memo seen by the Mirror, all crew were told they “must sell every day: one perfume, one meal deal and one item of fresh food and eight scratchcards”.
It warned that “the above sales will be closely monitored”, and anyone “not reaching their targets daily will be met with by their supervisor and further action taken”. Another memo to staff based in Barcelona – ranked bottom for on-board sales – threatened to move “crew members who were consistently under-performing”. But Kenny Jacobs, Ryanair’s chief marketing officer, said: “Crew are not ‘forced’ to do anything. “They are incentivised to sell ancillary products on board and are rewarded with sales bonuses.”
PASSENGERS
THE airline has been criticised for its strict hand-baggage policy and the amount it charges if luggage is judged too big to take on board.
It made almost £1.5billion last year through these “hidden charges” – more than any budget airline outside the US.
Each passenger is charged on average £12 extra for excess luggage, payment with credit cards, travel insurance and in-flight food and drink, according to a study by travel consultancy Ideaworks.
Ryanair’s “Fly To Win” scratchcard game is €2 for a chance to win €1million. But the odds of winning the top prize are estimated at one in a billion. Just one passenger with a “Yes” scratchcard can choose from 125 envelopes, only one of which is worth a million.
Mr Jacobs said other prizes included cash and cars, with a minimum €50,000 prize in the 125-1 draw.
PAY & CONDITIONS
AS many as half the airline’s pilots and cabin crew are employed via agencies on zero-hours contracts, it is claimed.
Flight crew must also pay £300 for their own uniform and that’s after many have paid nearly £2,000 for a six-week training course and accommodation in Germany – rising to £30,000 for pilots.
A pilot said: “The starting salary is very low in comparison to other airlines and is topped up by pay for flying hours.
“This is a safety issue because if you are a captain or a first officer, selfemployed or on a zero-hours contract, it encourages you to go work when you are ill as you need to get paid. We pay for our own uniforms and have to bring our own food and water on flights.”
But Ryanair’s Mr Jacobs said crew get an annual uniform allowance up to €425.
He added: “We don’t operate so-called “zero-hour” contracts. Pilots are by law restricted to flying less than 900 hours per year (just 18 hours per week) and on a sample roster, a pilot typically works four days on, followed by three days off.”
CANCELLATIONS
LAST week 20,000 Ryanair passengers had flights cancelled due to a strike by French air-traffic controllers.
However, a Ryanair insider claims the airline will use the scenario to cover up technical problems to avoid paying out thousands of pounds in compensation to passengers – something EasyJet was also accused of last month.
The pilot told us: “The French strike was very convenient. Yes, French air space was closed but flights were cancelled from Athens to Rome for example which goes nowhere near there. They blame it on the weather or say ‘reasons out of our control’. And so people think they can’t claim.”
But Mr Jacobs insisted Ryanair “complies fully” with EU rules on compo.
HYGIENE
RYANAIR announced £1.1billion annual profits in May after flying 11.8 million passengers on over 600,000 flights.
But staff say cost-cutting is behind the extraordinary figures.
One pilot told us: “The company scrimps and saves so much that they do not even clean the flight decks.
“This has obvious safety implications. If one of the pilots was to get food poisoning there would be serious issues for the flight.
“We’re expected to spend up to 12 hours a day in these conditions. Also, the planes are only cleaned once a day – including the toilets. As an aircraft often completes eight flights, in a day that’s potentially 1,500 people using three toilets before they get cleaned. Pretty disgusting.”
Mr Jacobs said: “All Ryanair aircraft are cleaned by professionals at the end of each day and the crew carry out a cabin tidy at the end of every flight.”
PILOTS
BEING a pilot used to be a glamorous and well-paid career – but according to those who have broken ranks to speak to us this is far from true at Ryanair.
A British pilot who has flown with the airline for six years said: “‘Don’t wash your dirty linen in public’ is the motto we are supposed to obey, but after the way we’ve all been treated, enough is enough.
“We’ve been offered £12,000 extra to work to help solve the cancellation chaos but most of us can’t or won’t take it. The goodwill has dried up – 140 pilots joined Norwegian Air last year and EasyJet are recruiting from Ryanair too.
“It is not uncommon to carry out 12 hours of duty but only have flown for six. You’re only paid for the time in the air.
“On a basic salary you rely on the flight hours on top that pay an average £40 a hour.
“Most have had to pay £30,000 to the firm to start with and there are no perks.”