Ryanair Cancels ‘Prime’ Membership Over Costs

Ryanair has cancelled its subscription service that allowed members to make up to 12 discounted flights each year. The airline axed the subscription after it cost the airline about €1.6 million.

Ryanair’s statement regarding the cancellation

In a statement of November 28, Ryanair said it was closing the offering following an eight-month “trial period” because it was costing the airline more money than it was generating.

“Over the years, customers have asked for a Ryanair members scheme, so we trialled this Prime scheme over the last eight months,” Ryanair chief marketing officer Dara Brady said.

“To date, we have signed up over 55,000 Prime members, generating over €4.4 million in subscription fees. However, our Prime members have received over €6 million in fare discounts, so this trial has cost more money than it generates.”

In March, Mr Brady called the offer “a no-brainer” and stated that the service would be “limited to” 250,000 customers, which is more than four times the number of people who actually signed up.

Customers who fully utilise the service and book a maximum of 12 trips annually may potentially save up to five times the membership fee, according to the airline, and even those who book three flights might more than repay their €79 expenditure.

All 55,000 current Prime members will “continue to enjoy exclusive monthly low fare offers” until October 2026, according to a statement released by Ryanair on Friday. However, “no new members will be allowed to sign up.”

“This level of memberships, or subscription revenue, does not justify the time and effort it takes to launch monthly exclusive Prime seat sales for our 55,000 Prime members,” said Mr Brady.

“We are grateful to our 55,000 Prime members who signed up to this Prime trial over the last eight months, and they can rest assured that they will continue to enjoy exclusive flight and seat savings for the remainder of their 12-month membership.

“With over 207 million passengers this year, Ryanair will continue to focus on delivering the lowest fares in Europe to all our customers, and not this subset of 55,000 Prime members.”

Ryanair Subscription

Customers pay €79 a year for the Prime service, which was introduced in March. It required subscribing to a monthly email with promotional content and a list of the available reduced rates.

As long as a Prime seat is available, subscribers can book up to 12 flights annually.

Additionally, the package included travel insurance that covered medical care, delays, lost bags, and cancellations due to a variety of situations.

Were you a prime member of the airline? How do you think the decision will affect you? Share your thoughts with us!