Ryanair Launches New ‘Prime’ Subscription Service

European low-cost carrier Ryanair has launched a new subscription service aimed at frequent flyers, offering its loyal customers the opportunity to unlock a range of added benefits.

Costing £79 ($102) for a 12-month subscription, the new service—called Ryanair Prime—offers customers the chance to save up to five times that amount annually, should they fly twelve times per year.

Photo: Courtesy of Ryanair

The new scheme offers subscribers a range of exclusive benefits, including free seat reservations, free travel insurance when they fly with the Ireland-based airline, and access to one member-exclusive seat sale each month.

Ryanair Member Benefits

Ryanair claims that those who fly 12 times per year could save up to £420 ($544) annually by signing up for the service. However, customers who don’t fly nearly that much could still benefit from it. For example, those who fly just three times per year could save up to £105 ($136), thus making back the investment on the initial subscription fee.

While this new scheme may sound like a great idea for those who frequently travel in Europe, it’s not available to everyone. The scheme is currently limited to just 250,000 passengers, so anyone interested in signing up would need to head over to Ryanair’s website quickly in order to avoid missing out. It’s also currently only open to people aged 18 and over and residing in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Ireland, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, or the UK.

Photo: Courtesy of Ryanair

“Ryanair has been delivering the lowest fares (and the best services) in Europe for the last four decades, and we’re now extending our price leadership with the launch of our exciting new subscriber discount scheme – Ryanair ‘Prime’,” said Dara Brady, CMO of Ryanair.

Ryanair ‘Prime’ is a new subscriber discount scheme for frequent flyers that want to fly regularly but don’t want to break the bank to do so. Costing a modest £79 for a full 12-month subscription, Ryanair ‘Prime’ members will benefit from access to 12 exclusive annual seat sales (1 each month), free reserved seats, and free travel insurance every time they fly with Europe’s No.1 airline.

“This will deliver great savings of $420 for members who fly 12 times per year, but even ‘Prime’ members who only fly 3 times per year will still save £105 – more than the £79 cost of becoming a ‘Prime’ member.

Limited Spots

“So, if you like flying regularly while also saving money, then Ryanair ‘Prime’ is a no-brainer. This exciting new subscriber discount scheme is limited to just 250,000 customers on a first come/first served basis, so make sure you sign up now at ryanair.com and enjoy exclusive Ryanair ‘Prime’ benefits for the next year.”

Photo: Ryanair, Boeing 737-800. Courtesy of Portuguese Gravity / Unsplash

The new Ryanair Prime service follows on from a similar program launched by fellow European low-cost carrier Wizz Air last year. That subscription scheme, which costs more at €599 ($647) per year, allows members to book selected flights for just €9.99 ($10.80) each, baggage included, up to 72 hours in advance.