Ryanair’s quest for more fees: Just add more rows in reserved/premium category

Ryanair is increasing the number of seats available for passengers to reserve by two additional rows on each flight. The add-on service has been extended from four to six rows.

The airline charges £10 each way for optional seat reservations, rising to £15 on longer routes such as the Canary Islands. EasyJet passengers pay between £3 and £12 for allocated seating.

According to the Financial Times (subscription only): Industry experts say the low-cost operators’ new seating policy would also win them more passengers, particularly business travellers who tend to book closer to their travel dates and therefore at higher rates.

Gert Zonneveld, an analyst with Panmure Gordon, estimated that allocated seating would add at least £45m to easyJet’s top line annually from fees alone…Ryanair said that while a quarter of its customers travel for business, it was demand from families wanting to sit together that had spurred its latest move.