Airlines earn $38bn from non-fare revenues

Ryanair’s non-fare revenues reached $1.9bn (€1.68bn) last year as it took advantage of a tactical shift which saw its business class services play a bigger role in the airline.

The low-fare airline’s ancillary revenues accounted for just under a quarter of its total revenue of $7.73bn last year.

The huge take from sources such as excess baggage charges, bus and rail ticket sales, and in-flight services puts Ryanair fifth globally in terms of the proportion of ancillary revenue to total income, according to data compiled by consultancy firm, IdeaWorksCompany for Irish travel tech platform, CarTrawler.