Anyway, I’m afraid you are wrong here Paul in that it isn’t Ryanair’s PR here to love or hate. This is a business strategy based on maximising publicity – very little concern over the corporate reputation. It is a pure marketing approach to PR – and although that is working now, there’s only so long anyone can avoid their critics. So not caring about the reputation will bite the company in the bum at some point – although probably after Mr O’L has taken his money and retired.

The BBC hasn’t realised how much Mr O’L loves them taking a pop at him – I even heard him on the Breakfast show thanking them for the free publicity. He knows that as most of what they criticise isn’t safety-critical, it amounts to advertising on the Beeb – which money can’t buy.

I’ve written about Ryanair a lot in the past as I agree that the approach shows that you don’t need to engage and care about others – even most of your customers. It isn’t a great experience flying with Ryanair – but it is cheap and when it flies, is convenient. It is tacky and money-grabbing, but you can normally play the game if you don’t need to take luggage, etc. The main factor playing in its favour though is how rubbish most of the competitors are.

My favourite thought about Ryanair is how it manages to keep complaints low – you try finding out how to complain on its website. They are crap and we know they are – but provided the planes don’t fall out of the sky which is the real reputation buster of an airline. They don’t give a stuff.

I wonder if there are any times when the Ryanair guys feel this approach goes against them? i just wonder what access to airports, slots delas with partners they have lost or had to pay more for in the past because some poeple just don;t like the Micheal O’Leary approach? Maybe it is a price worth paying? Difficult to argue with their success.