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Irish carrier Ryanair, Europe’s largest budget airline, might start charging passengers for using the toilet while flying, chief executive Michael O’Leary said on Friday. “One thing we have looked at in the past and are looking at again is the possibility of maybe putting a coin slot on the toilet door so that people might actually have to spend a pound to spend a penny in future,” he told BBC television.

He said this would not inconvenience passengers travelling without cash. “I don’t think there is anybody in history that has got on board a Ryanair aircraft with less than a pound.” O’Leary has a reputation as a cost cutter, expanding Ryanair by offering low headline fares and charging extra for items such as additional luggage.

Last week, Ryanair announced it was to shut all check-in desks at airports and have passengers check in online instead. “We’re all about finding ways of raising discretionary revenue so we can keep lowering the cost of air travel,” he said.

I am going to London on Ryanair soon and I thought I would lookup Seat Guruto try and figure out which would be the better seats, but alas, Ryanair are not on SeatGuru. But I am not really surprised though. Its not like you book a flight with Ryanair because of the extra legroom, its because they are cheap.

With all the snow and ice recently in England, I purchased some travel insurance from JustCover.ie as they were the cheapest. I have flights and hotels booked and paid for so I am not going to risk being stuck at home for the weekend without re-imbursement of some kind. I will have to sort out an Irish pub to watch the match in on Saturday. Any recommendations?

I took this picture in the church while waiting for a wedding, we got there a bit early

Ryanair has held talks with representatives from Niagara Falls Airport with a view to launching a direct transatlantic service from Dublin to the tourist spot. The budget airline has previously said it is anxious to operate international services for as little as €10.

The talks with the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority NFTA took place at Dublin Airport last Friday, according to a Ryanair spokesperson. She could not confirm what was said at the meeting but added it took place at the request of the NFTA.

Speaking after the meeting with Ryanair last week, NFTA chairman Gregory Stamm said: “We’ve got our fingers crossed because they are a big player over there and landing them would open a lot of doors for us. “There’s no question there’s a market on both ends for these charters. It’s more a matter of how this would fit into Ryanair’s expansion plans,” he said. Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary has said he is looking for planes to operate transatlantic services.

He said the transatlantic service would be run by a separate company to Ryanair, though he is likely take a big interest in it. The new carrier would need between 50 to 60 long-haul planes, which would be based at up to 10 European airports, including Dublin and London.

The NFTA has marketed the Niagara Falls airport as a prime secondary landing target with easy access to all of Western New York and Southern Ontario.

It is airports such as these that Ryanair would look to operate from in the US.

via Irish Examiner | Ryanair holds talks on flight to Niagara Falls.

This is taken from a boards.ie post by a taxi driver:

1. To avoid being refused,never tell the driver where your going before you get in,mumble something or pretend you didn’t hear him.
2. Taxi drivers are not allowed refuse journeys of less than 35kms.If they refuse,ask them to bring you to the nearest Garda Station instead, this will change their attitude.
3. If you hail a Taxi from the street,or a rank the 2 euro pick up charge does not apply.
4. Dont allow the driver to take you a way you know is longer, the passanger is entitled to choose the route.
5. You dont have to take the first car in the rank.If the car looks grotty or the driver looks,scruffy.walk to the next car.its your right by law.
6. If the driver is rude or bad mannered,ask for a receipt when getting out.All the details of the vehicle are printed on the receipt.Please make sure and report the driver – 1890 60 60 90.
7. Never allow a taxi driver quote you a price, all fares must be calculated on the meter.make sure he uses the meter espically if your travelling out of town!
8. If you are over 17 you are responsible for wearing your seat belt ,not the driver.If stopped you will get the fine not the driver.
9. If you feel sick sit by a window,if you get sick in a taxi it will cost you 140 euro,not worth it!
10. When possible,choose a car with a company name on the roof sign,you are less lightly to be driven home by someone illegal or someone that has no idea where they are going this way!

via boards.ie – View Single Post – Taxi mans advise to joe public!.

The new age of high speed rail transit is expected to get its start in the Bay Area after voters passed a $9.95 billion bond initiative earlier this month. “It’s done and certified now,” said California High Speed Rail Authority Board Member Ron Diridon. “It goes down from San Francisco down to San Jose, down to Gilroy, under the Pacheco Pass in tunnels to about Merced, and then down the Central Valley, Fresno, on down to Los Angeles and Anaheim.”

Earlier this month, 52 percent of California voters approved the multibillion dollar project to fund the 700-mile system. Officials say that the new project will create more than 450,000,000 jobs and reduce green house gases by taking more cars off the road. In addition, riders are assured that a high-speed train travel between San Diego and Los Angeles will take one hour and fifteen minutes, and just over two and a half hours from San Francisco to Los Angeles. You can further information here.

Opponents of the measure say that California voters are going to be paying a lot more than bargained for as the project continues. Project officials say that the system will be capable of carrying 68 million passengers a year by 2020.

The Irish and US governments have announced details of a pre-clearance agreement for transatlantic services from Shannon Airport, which will make it the first airport in Europe to have the facility.

The announcement was made by Transport Minister Noel Dempsey in Shannon this afternoon. The agreement will be formally signed by him in Washington on Monday and will allow for passengers to undertake all the necessary inspections before departing Shannon for the US. In addition to immigration facilities, the airport will now get customs and agricultural inspections as well

People from the Kingdom will have a direct route to the slopes from this year as Ryanair have announced a new route Kerry – Grenoble for this winter. This brings to 5 the number of routes Ryanair operate from Kerry Airport. Other destinations served are: Dublin, London Stanstead, London Luton and Frankfurt Hahn.

See ryanair.com for further details

The Irish Examiner did an interesting series this week past on Irish Regional Airports. This follows on comments from Ryanair’s CEO Michael O’Leary that only Kerry and Donegal airports out of all our regional airports have a commercial future. I’d imagine comments like this one went down well in Farranfore and Carrickfinn. You can catch the write-up on Kerry Airpot on Kerry News Blog by clicking here.

The series also included Shannon and Cork airports and how they are likely to be both fighting for the coveted number 2 spot for passenger numbers behind Dublin Airport, which is ever unlikely to be surpassed as the number 1 airport in the country. The series can be found in the Irish Examiner Archives.