Ryanair launches new subscription service

Ryanair said subscription benefits include reserved seats at no additional cost, travel insurance and access to 12 annual member-exclusive seat sales. Picture: Peter Byrne/PA

Budget airline Ryanair has launched a subscription service which it says offers discounts to frequent flyers with the airline.

The subscription will cost €79 a year and gives those who pay benefits such as reserved seats at no additional cost, travel insurance, and access to 12 annual member-exclusive seat sales which will occur once a month.

Ryanair is calling this new service “Prime”.

This is not to be confused with Amazon's Prime — the online retailer's own subscription service — which launched its Irish online store front last week.

The airline claimed that “Prime” members who fly 12 times per year will save up to €420. 

To achieve this number, Ryanair said customers would save €120 on the reserved seating — €10 each over 12 flights — €180 on travel insurance, and €120 through the seat sales.

Dara Brady, chief marketing officer at Ryanair, said “Prime” members who fly just three times a year will save the cost of the subscription based.

Ryanair said their “Prime” service is limited to 250,000 members on a first come first service basis.

So if the airline does sell out the initial round of “Prime” memberships, Ryanair could generate €19.75m in additional revenue in a year.

Ryanair’s after-tax profit during the last three months of 2024 alone stood at €149m. The airline is expecting to generate between €1.55bn and €1.61bn in after-tax profit during its current financial year which ends on March 31.