Ryanair aims to double business traffic following partnership with Travelport

Ryanair aims to double business traffic in two years after partnering with global booking system Travelport Ltd to reach a broader customer base.

The deal with Atlanta- based Travelport will help drive Ryanair’s corporate passenger total to about 36 million from 18m, chief marketing officer Kenny Jacobs said yesterday.

The multi-year deal is the first of its kind signed by Europe’s No 1 discount carrier in a decade and aids chief executive Michael O’Leary’s push to boost customer appeal, Jacobs said. Ryanair will also roll out a new website, mobile boarding passes and a smart-phone app over the coming three months to help streamline the booking and travel process.

“We’ve made really good progress on listening to customers and saying, ‘what would you like us to change?’ And they’ve told us,” Jacobs said in an interview in London. “We’re coming from a stripped-back point of view and then you can pick and choose what you want to put on top.”

Refinements adopted so far include the introduction of allocated seating, a relaxation of the carry-on allowance, reduced baggage charges and a dimmed cabin and fewer announcements during early morning and late evening flights.

Ryanair will spend about €35m this year on advertising and digital promotions, a tripling of the marketing budget, as it seeks to refine its discount image. Mainstream TV commercials are due to be released in the UK, Ireland, Spain and Italy next month, as well as print and online advertisements, the executive said.

The agreement with Travelport, which is owned by buyout firm Blackstone and also works with EasyJet and Air- France-KLM discount unit Transavia, does not preclude deals with other global distribution providers such as Amadeus and Sabre, Jacobs said.