This is nothing new, but I think it’s worth giving a shoutout to Ryanair for having the most bizarre, unconventional, and amazing Twitter presence of any airline.
In this post:
Ryanair’s unconventional Twitter account
Most airlines use Twitter to post news, provide customer support, listen to feedback, and apologize for when things go wrong. And then you have Ryanair, which uses Twitter to make us all laugh (and provide customer support, but only via DM — smart!). Where do we even begin?
The airline posts all kinds of hilarious memes and responses to what’s in the news. For example, you have the below Tweet from today.
When people respond to Ryanair on Twitter and try to throw shade at the airline, Ryanair has no problem holding its own. For example, a broadcaster responded to the above by saying that Ryanair should “stick to poor quality budget travel, leave the politics to others.” To that Ryanair responded “stick to poor quality broadcasting, leave the politics to others.”
When someone suggests that Ryanair planes rarely take off, the airline held its own.
If someone suggests Ryanair’s social media is run by 20-something year old “woke imbeciles,” the airline takes that as a compliment.
But Ryanair doesn’t just respond to sassy people with humor. Someone asked on Twitter if Ryanair has USB outlets on planes, to which Ryanair responded with “yeah, they’re just under the seat massage function.” LOL!
Oh, and did I mention all of that just happened in the past 24 hours?
Or Ryanair even jokes about charging for carry-ons and having people wear all their clothes on the plane.
Unprofessional, hilarious, or both?
No company does social media quite like Ryanair. At most airlines, responding to customers the way Ryanair does would get you fired. Meanwhile at Europe’s largest low cost carrier this is considered a feature.
Is Ryanair’s Twitter team hilarious? Yes. I mean, I follow Ryanair and read Ryanair Tweets every day, even though I have no plans to fly the airline anytime soon. Is Ryanair’s Twitter unprofessional? Obviously!
But there’s something oddly refreshing about Ryanair’s approach to social media as well. Frankly I feel bad for most airline employees who provide Twitter support, because they just deal with people complaining all day. In some cases people have legitimate gripes, while in other cases they’re just whining and cranky. I feel like Ryanair says what just about ever other airline social media employee is thinking, and there’s something kind of cool about that, even if the airline does push boundaries.
I’d also say that Ryanair is subscribing to the philosophy that any publicity is good publicity, and I don’t think the airline is wrong. People don’t choose Ryanair because the airline offers a luxury experience or bespoke, concierge-style customer service. Rather people choose Ryanair because the airline has the lowest fares, and flies direct to a lot of destinations. And anything that reminds anyone of Ryanair (and a lot of the carrier’s Tweets go viral) is probably good for Ryanair’s bottom line.
I’d be fascinated to know what Ryanair’s behind the scenes process is like for managing Twitter. Can each Ryanair employee working on Twitter just post what they’d like, or is there a review process? And if there is a review process (which I assume there is), how do they decide what gets published? It must be based on how funny it is, rather than concern over crossing any lines.
Bottom line
Ryanair has a one-of-a-kind social media presence. Rather than just posting news updates and providing customer service support, the airline is genuinely hilarious and even rude on Twitter. You’d almost think it’s a Ryanair parody account… except it’s not.
While controversial, I’m a fan of Ryanair’s unconventional approach to Twitter. I’d pay good money (at least the cost of a Ryanair flight… okay, that’s not objectively “good money”) to be a fly on the wall of Ryanair’s social media office one day.
What do you make of Ryanair’s social media presence? Brilliant, awful, or both?
The sad part is, that they staff aren't just rude. I find them very obnoxious and not very smart. When ever there is a problem on they side they try to make it the passengers fault. Also if they feel threaten by making false accusations and you question them, they say they would refuse to help as they dont get paid for delivering a service. I find Eurowings a bit more expensive, but never ever...
The sad part is, that they staff aren't just rude. I find them very obnoxious and not very smart. When ever there is a problem on they side they try to make it the passengers fault. Also if they feel threaten by making false accusations and you question them, they say they would refuse to help as they dont get paid for delivering a service. I find Eurowings a bit more expensive, but never ever had problems with them. They also make up they own Covid rules and pray on weak people. I have seen this the other day with an elder couple. If I did not intervene, they would have lost they flight as they did not know how to check in. The desk crew refused to help them and just wanted 50 euros for something that took me a minute of my time. I also find flying with other airlines, you have better people on board. Ryanair attracts a lot of loud and un-behaved teenagers. Leg room and transfers is the worst from all airliners. They bathroom stinks and always very dirty as they don't clean them between flights. They will literally land with a full plane and take-off 45min later. No wonder they food is also off. They dont always have fresh food and guess they try and sell the old first. Dont trust they onboard specials either. You can find them cheaper in most shopping malls. Then last but not least. They safety measurement and onboard entertainment just doesnt exist. They cabin crew are useless and the safety card looks like a 10 year old's drawing. Sad to see how a company could be so lame, but they do.
And yet... They can be outsmarted and beaten at their own (vulgar) game: I pride myself to have made money on them, paying only 2 UKP on London to Brittany with 2 heavy suitcases checked and returning from Brittany to London for...2 Euros with the same 2 heavy suitcases checked.
Since the offer was a planned scamming rip-off by the despicable O'Leary to offer round trips for 1 UKP (or 1 Euro) in each direction,...
And yet... They can be outsmarted and beaten at their own (vulgar) game: I pride myself to have made money on them, paying only 2 UKP on London to Brittany with 2 heavy suitcases checked and returning from Brittany to London for...2 Euros with the same 2 heavy suitcases checked.
Since the offer was a planned scamming rip-off by the despicable O'Leary to offer round trips for 1 UKP (or 1 Euro) in each direction, letting passengers check for free all the baggage they wanted on the outward leg and slaughtering them with huge excess baggage charges per kilo on the return leg, all it took was buying TWO RTs (one from each side) and never using the return segments...
Of course, you need some insider info to do this but the airline is so hated by its employees that it comes very easily. There's even a blog dedicated to it (In won't say where, though...)
Elementary my dear O'Leary... and whatever scam you plan on your passengers ALWAYS (or almost always) has an available turn-around solution to make the buyer happy and the airline look ridiculous. "Creativity" is the key word.
If the airline hard and soft product would be good I would praise them for this funny marketing. I wonder what was their take on the Minsk detour ? Two destinations for one price ? And have two extra seats for free after Minsk ?
I flew Ryanair twice last year ( 2021) and I consider they have done a good job during Covid given all the problems that have been thrown at them . They have helped passengers in Europe when other airlines were not flying .
Those who view Ryanair's strategy as being rude are like the middle age dad that would go out of their way to make fun of everyone else including their family, but when the joke is on them, they lose their bananas
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I support people who want to jump in on the influencer world. We have too many fakes that I'm hoping new players are being more honest and fresh.
Therefore, I'm going to give it to you straight.
Being a shameless parasite isn't going to get people to visit your page.
A lot of biased influencer didn't start out as fake but fame and fortune corrupted them. You didn't even start out genuine.
I...
I support people who want to jump in on the influencer world. We have too many fakes that I'm hoping new players are being more honest and fresh.
Therefore, I'm going to give it to you straight.
Being a shameless parasite isn't going to get people to visit your page.
A lot of biased influencer didn't start out as fake but fame and fortune corrupted them. You didn't even start out genuine.
I just hope you didn't quit your job for this.
N.B. Go read the "The (Honest) State Of Travel & Points Blogging" post. Unless you're born into wealth, this isn't easy money for lazy demanding millennials (anymore).
Very cool in my humble opinion
- from a retired 41 year long career flight attendant
Ben, Ryan Airs tweets after Djockovic got kicked out of Australia were hilarious!
I would find the Tweets hilarious had Ryanair not (predictably) insisted that my checked luggage was overweight. The offending suitcase had been weighed at my departing airport, flown across the world and retrieved in Dublin, wheeled to the Ryanair check-in and then declared to have 'put on' five kilos during the previous flights. And for context, I chose Ryanair as it was the only direct flight from Dublin to Biarritz on that day and thus...
I would find the Tweets hilarious had Ryanair not (predictably) insisted that my checked luggage was overweight. The offending suitcase had been weighed at my departing airport, flown across the world and retrieved in Dublin, wheeled to the Ryanair check-in and then declared to have 'put on' five kilos during the previous flights. And for context, I chose Ryanair as it was the only direct flight from Dublin to Biarritz on that day and thus I possibly got what I deserved.
They are not politically correct, that's why it works.
you should see their Tiktoks. not only are they hilarious but they hold nothing back in the comments either haha
You know exactly what you'll get with Ryanair, so you can never be disappointed. A plane that gets as many passengers as possible from A to B at the lowest possible cost thereby making the most money. Anything else you want, comfortable seat, legroom, luggage, drinks, good customer service, ground service, all is missing or extra. Set low expectations, low risk of failing to meet them. Get the passengers from A to B; that's it. The tweets are right on brand.
EXACTLY
Too bad Ryanair doesn't have as much inflight entertainment as Spirit.
I can't remember the last time my Spirit flight was quiet and uneventful. Some are actually quite a positive experience. Last summer one of my flight had 20 people wearing a family gathering shirt. It was loud but not disruptive, like typical family gatherings. Others I get some kid on a headphone rapping the entire flight, can hear music from his headphone from the...
Too bad Ryanair doesn't have as much inflight entertainment as Spirit.
I can't remember the last time my Spirit flight was quiet and uneventful. Some are actually quite a positive experience. Last summer one of my flight had 20 people wearing a family gathering shirt. It was loud but not disruptive, like typical family gatherings. Others I get some kid on a headphone rapping the entire flight, can hear music from his headphone from the row behind, no wonder why he raps so loud.
According to the 10th Feb post, they are hiring!
It works, they don't insult customers (Like Dick's Last Resort for example)...
They are vey popular on Tiktok for their crazy videos
I think this if fine with budget or small airlines, but I would not expect from legacy.
Well, Ben, just wait till I tell you the story that led up to Wendy's replying Chick Fil'A with "Ur mom's a hoe." True story, google it.
And everything on the internet must be true.
Reminds me of James Blunt’s responses.
@eponymous coward
You sound jealous of Michael O'Leary. Go get a life.
Not really. I think his comments are usually candid and funny. His German translator when he made that remark about beds and blowjobs was trying not to die laughing translating it.
You go on having a very normal day on the Internet though.
"No company does social media quite like Ryanair."
There are plenty that are irreverent/funny/sassy rather than the standard issue "brand speak".
Check out Steak-umm & Wendy's as two examples.
@ Ben
Please don’t refer to Calvin Robinson as a “broadcaster.” He’s a right-wing shill who only gets airtime on the British version of Fox News. He says things like “I’m black and have never experienced racism, therefore racism doesn’t exist” and other comments that delight his right-wing backers.
Calling him a broadcaster gives him respectability he doesn’t deserve. To most people in the UK, he’s a joke. Ryanair’s response to him was perfect.
Sorry, didn’t mean to post this as reply to another comment. It should have been standalone.
He’s a broadcaster - get over it already
Nothing new. Read the book on the great Herb Kelleher, "Nuts!" as he was doing this years before twitter or social media. When a woman complained about the toilet paper being upside down in one of the lavatories he promptly replied by personal letter asking, 'What the hell were you doing upside down in our bathroom?"
It's all about their core audience. You wouldn't get me on a Ryanair Flight if I got paid to fly. Therefore, zingy tweets are meaningless to me.
Try to get to Santorini during a Greek maritime worker strike and you'll re-evaluate that statement really fast
I rarely use Ryanair either, mostly Vueling, but that doesn't stop me from appreciating the humor. Yes, great marketing, keeps them in mind, but you still need a reason to use them. I don't fly Southwest when I am in the US either, both boarding processes are a nightmare in my eyes. I know some like it, to each their own.
I doubt that @George Romey would turn down $1M to fly Ryanair.
All you idiots, stop saying you wont do stuff for money. If it's large enough you will do it. It's called Economics.
I mean, this is Michael “Beds and blowjobs” O’Leary running the airline… the Twitter account is 100% on brand for him.
From what I can tell, Ryanair is the only airline using Twitter the way it was intended to be used.
Couldn’t have said it better myself. 100%
Ryanair gets marketing. And given that they are fairly profitable, I think they also get how to make money flying bags around. Passengers? - not so much.
Ryanair about to get metoo'd out on these streets lmao. I like this, all in good fun and humor.