Cheap airfares won't last long after pandemic, warn experts

Passengers hoping to take advantage of an airline war over low fares will only have short-lived joy, according to leading consumer and tourism figures.

With aviation in turmoil due to the Covid-19 fallout, Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary said last month that he expected his airline to take advantage of families wanting to travel once restrictions in European countries were eased.

"Lots of people across northern Europe have been locked up in apartments. They will all want to go on holiday before the kids go back to school as long as they can do so in reasonable safety," he said.

He predicted airlines would slash prices to entice passengers back flying.

"The minute we're about to start flying again we'll start doing seat sales, and so will every other airline," he said.

However, the boost to passengers will be short-lived, according to consumer and tourism chiefs.

Daragh Cassidy of Bonkers.ie said: "The thoughts of bagging an ultra cheap holiday at some stage in the near future is probably what’s keeping a lot of people going right now.

"And while Ryanair in particular is likely to aggressively sell flights when travel resumes properly towards the end of the year, the medium-term benefits for travellers are far less certain. Virgin, Norwegian Air and Cityjet are all in deep trouble while Flybe has already collapsed.

"Meanwhile Aer Lingus owner IAG is slashing thousands of jobs and cutting back on investment. The post Covid-19 airline sector is going to look radically different with far fewer names. Ultimately this reduced competition could lead to higher prices for consumers in the longer term."

Irish Tourism Industry Confederation chief executive Eoghan O'Mara Walsh echoed Bonkers.ie, saying Irish hotels and guesthouses hoping for a boon in European travelers as the aviation market recovers were likely to be disappointed.

"Ryanair will have rock-bottom fares when they finally get back in the air, which will be great in the short-term for passengers undoubtedly.

"However this crisis is going to be the downfall of a number of airlines, which means you will have less carriers, less routes and less aircraft in the sky in 2021 and 2022. When you have less players, you have less competition. Fares into Ireland will likely go up over the medium-term."