Know-How Exchange : Strategy

I’d always thought that their mission is to make Michael O’Leary as rich and as unpopular as possibly by pissing off customers, ethnic minorities, disabled people, anyone with a beard and so on. They achieve this by having the rudest staff in the business.

In any case, what’s the point of RyanAir? No business class and no first class means that there’s nowhere for me to fly whilst making everyone who has to turn to the right whilst boarding an ordinary flight jealous.

It’s almost as pointless as those business only flights – what’s the point of travelling in expensive luxury if the oiks in steerage can’t leer at you with envy as you turn left.

Steve

Does anyone really care about a company's mission or vision statement?

Mission Statement: "A clumsily-crafted camel-like pithy paragraph designed to make management sound really stupid."

If Ryanair is true to their mission, they'll probably charge you the price of a cup of coffee just to read it!

Seriously, though, I couldn't find the section Carrie referenced, but I did read their 2007 Annual Report, a very plain-vanilla document which speaks volumes about their focus, which is Low Fares and No Fuel Surcharges, ever.

It's available here and I suggest you read the whole of the first section, up to the financial reports, to get the idea. This is a company that doesn't spend one cent if it doesn't have to. And charges customers for every on-board extra it can, beyond the provision of a seat from A to B.

People say taking the low-price leadership position is a loser's game. You have to agree that it's a game Ryanair plays very, very well to the exclusion of all others.

Hope that helps.

ChrisB