Finance
Ryanair scraps subscription service after costly trial
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on December 8, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 20, 2026
Global Banking and Finance Review
Company
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on December 8, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 20, 2026
Ryanair ends its subscription service after a trial due to financial inefficiency, generating €4.4 million in fees but costing €6 million in discounts.
LONDON (Reuters) -Europe's biggest airline Ryanair said on Friday it will scrap a subscription service after a trial this year as it was not worth it financially.
Ryanair, which is headquartered in Ireland and carried about 200 million passengers last year, launched a 'Prime member' offering in March, providing fee-paying subscribers with discounts on fares.
But it said in a statement that it was closing it after the scheme generated 4.4 million euros ($5 million) in subscription fees over eight months but gave out 6 million euros in fare discounts.
"This trial has cost more money than it generates," Ryanair chief marketing officer Dara Brady said. "This level of memberships, or subscription revenue does not justify the time and effort it takes to launch monthly exclusive Prime seat sales."
The trial attracted 55,000 members, who will all be entitled to continue to use their subscription for the duration of their 12-month membership.
The airline said in March that membership would be limited to 250,000 people.
Rival low-cost airline Wizz offers several membership services, while Spanish online travel booking firm eDreams ODIGEO also has a prime service.
($1 = 0.8639 euros)
(Reporting by Sarah YoungEditing by Tomasz Janowski)
A subscription service is a business model where customers pay a recurring fee to access a product or service, often providing benefits such as discounts or exclusive offers.
Fare discounts are reductions in the price of tickets or services offered by airlines or travel companies, often aimed at attracting more customers or rewarding loyal members.
A trial period is a designated timeframe during which a service or product is offered to customers, allowing them to evaluate its benefits before committing to a full subscription or purchase.
A membership is a status granted to individuals who join a group or organization, often providing access to exclusive benefits, services, or discounts.
A chief marketing officer (CMO) is an executive responsible for overseeing the marketing strategy and efforts of a company, focusing on brand management, customer engagement, and revenue growth.
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