Aer Lingus like Shamrock Rovers

**Réiteoir** · 19/12/2008, 12:12 AM

Originally Posted by blackholesun

And we're offering great deals on seats. Season tickets for our home games for the entire 2009 campaign start at just €200.

Can I have one of those yellow ones, or if not a red one please...

http://img154.imageshack.us/img154/39/11hc5.jpg

**Soccer Mom** · 19/12/2008, 12:18 AM

The one thing that amazes me is that most people seem to miss two very important points about Ryanair

1) When Aer Lingus had no real competition they charged astronomical prices (back in 1982 I paid- no I mean my employer paid - £200 for a return flight to London...er you mean Mars...NO! I mean London!) to fly anywhere. Just think about that for a moment. That's over a quarter of a century ago. Allowing for inflation and all that....The other day I booked a flight with the Mick to Gatwick in January for and all-in price of €20 return. If the 'one-trick-pony' was looking to maximise profits in the way that his (mostly Aer Lingus employee) detracters depict then there is no way that we would have witnessed the unprecedented consumer price deflation that he has brought about. We might be flying return to London for €3,000 (using the pint-inflation-index - from 1982) instead of current prices.
POINT 1: Ryanair is consumer-friendly if price is the key indicator)

2) A merged RA/AL will be bad for Irish aviation competition. WRONG. And this is a point that Bertie missed all the time. I have booked lots of very cheap flights from Dublin to destinations that Aer Lingus doesn't serve. What! - on routes where Ryanair has a monopoly? Surely not! Jenny YES!!! (well you called me a girl's name first). People seem to miss this point all of the time - O'Leary's target market is not Ireland - we're too small - it's ... well basically...it's the world (He'll probably get to the astronomical oyster eventually). He has used Ryanair to bring huge (and I use that word advisedly) tourist traffic to Ireland - patrioism in extremis. Next time you're on the Ryanair site mouse-over Stansted - his main European hub - then try and find the airport that comes closest in terms of destinations served. Guess what- it's Dublin. Is that because there are so many people from Dublin demanding so many flights to so many destinations? Clearly not with the population size of Ireland. Ryanair is bringing millions of people to Ireland that would never come unless Ryanair served their airports. The by-product is that it gives us the opportunity to travel - cheaply (I did Dinard for €0.01) to places we never dreamt of.
POINT 2) BIG picture time folks - Ryanair - is good for Ireland. Almost everything that Michael O'Leary has predicted has come to pass - if you want to blame him for anything blame him for the congestion in our airports (although he did warn them about what he would do to passenger numbers). Why not believe him now? At least he is giving a guarantee about the Heathrow slots. What are Aer Lingus offering in this regard?

At least the B****** has democratised travel which is more than you can say about soccer in Ireland. I'm off to clean my baby's boots.

**SkStu** · 19/12/2008, 12:26 AM

Originally Posted by Dodge

Since the 80s, Rovers have only won one league and No FAI Cups (1 if we're counting the Super cup...)

was thinkin that myself Dodge - doesnt "since the 80's" mean from 1990 onwards??

**dcfcsteve** · 19/12/2008, 12:49 AM

Originally Posted by SkStu

was thinkin that myself Dodge - doesnt "since the 80's" mean from 1990 onwards??

Yes...

**dcfcsteve** · 19/12/2008, 12:51 AM

Originally Posted by fergalr

Excellent prompt response by the Rovers' board. Net outcome is +1 RyanAir but also +1 for the LOI (gotta use every opportunity to grab some positive PR and it might make those barstoolers think a little about value for money in these tough times).

I couldn't disagree more.

I really think Rovers got their response wrong here. O'Leary will be delighted with what they said, as it basically ba\cks up his analogy - and as most of the Irish public share his view of Irish football, it will have little effect on them either.

The Board should've pushed O'Leary onto the defensive - pointing out that, in these hard times, we all need to support our local industries, and that Ryanair seems happier to portray itself as being British than Irish. Now THAT would've got up O'Leary's nose - not simply stating a load of comments that’ll make him chuckle because they unwittingly support what he’s actually saying.

**osarusan** · 19/12/2008, 12:56 AM

I think the board should have said nothing at all.

**soccerc** · 19/12/2008, 2:05 AM

Originally Posted by Soccer Mom

The one thing that amazes me is that most people seem to miss two very important points about Ryanair

1) When Aer Lingus had no real competition they charged astronomical prices (back in 1982 I paid- no I mean my employer paid - £200 for a return flight to London...er you mean Mars...NO! I mean London!) to fly anywhere. Just think about that for a moment. That's over a quarter of a century ago. Allowing for inflation and all that....The other day I booked a flight with the Mick to Gatwick in January for and all-in price of €20 return. If the 'one-trick-pony' was looking to maximise profits in the way that his (mostly Aer Lingus employee) detracters depict then there is no way that we would have witnessed the unprecedented consumer price deflation that he has brought about. We might be flying return to London for €3,000 (using the pint-inflation-index - from 1982) instead of current prices.
POINT 1: Ryanair is consumer-friendly if price is the key indicator)

2) A merged RA/AL will be bad for Irish aviation competition. WRONG. And this is a point that Bertie missed all the time. I have booked lots of very cheap flights from Dublin to destinations that Aer Lingus doesn't serve. What! - on routes where Ryanair has a monopoly? Surely not! Jenny YES!!! (well you called me a girl's name first). People seem to miss this point all of the time - O'Leary's target market is not Ireland - we're too small - it's ... well basically...it's the world (He'll probably get to the astronomical oyster eventually). He has used Ryanair to bring huge (and I use that word advisedly) tourist traffic to Ireland - patrioism in extremis. Next time you're on the Ryanair site mouse-over Stansted - his main European hub - then try and find the airport that comes closest in terms of destinations served. Guess what- it's Dublin. Is that because there are so many people from Dublin demanding so many flights to so many destinations? Clearly not with the population size of Ireland. Ryanair is bringing millions of people to Ireland that would never come unless Ryanair served their airports. The by-product is that it gives us the opportunity to travel - cheaply (I did Dinard for €0.01) to places we never dreamt of.
POINT 2) BIG picture time folks - Ryanair - is good for Ireland. Almost everything that Michael O'Leary has predicted has come to pass - if you want to blame him for anything blame him for the congestion in our airports (although he did warn them about what he would do to passenger numbers). Why not believe him now? At least he is giving a guarantee about the Heathrow slots. What are Aer Lingus offering in this regard?

At least the B****** has democratised travel which is more than you can say about soccer in Ireland. I'm off to clean my baby's boots.

You're a gas man Mick - didn't know the interwebby yoke hit Mullingar yet!

Ok, call me a taxi

**Magicme** · 19/12/2008, 2:09 AM

Originally Posted by soccerc

Ok, call me a taxi

Soccerc is a taxi, Soccerc is a taxi, Soccerc is a taxi.

**soccerc** · 19/12/2008, 2:13 AM

Originally Posted by Magicme

Soccerc is a taxi, Soccerc is a taxi, Soccerc is a taxi.

You on the looper juice again tonight, fancy a ride?

... in my taxi of course, no charge just plenty of add ons

Ok, I'll get my coat

**SkStu** · 19/12/2008, 2:26 AM

Originally Posted by dcfcsteve

Yes...

cool...

**Magicme** · 19/12/2008, 2:27 AM

Originally Posted by soccerc

You on the looper juice again tonight, fancy a ride?

... in my taxi of course, no charge just plenty of add ons

Ok, I'll get my coat

Am totally shocked and disgusted at you..........of course am not drinking I have work in the morning!! Just cant sleep at the mo! Gonna try again though so nite!

**Claret Murph** · 19/12/2008, 6:18 AM

When i heard that on the news last night I was taken a back but then again it is O'Leary , i mean what can you say about the guy without swearing .
Tos*er is about as mild as i can put it on here .

**Finlay Harp** · 19/12/2008, 6:49 AM

Its Aer Arran you have to feel sorry for in all this. I dread to think who he would have compared them to

**Dodge** · 19/12/2008, 7:41 AM

Originally Posted by Soccer Mom

At least the B****** has democratised travel which is more than you can say about soccer in Ireland.

Agreed, Ryanair has done more for democratising travel than soccer in Ireland has.

**gspain** · 19/12/2008, 7:51 AM

Actually this is good publicity for the league and for Rovers in particular.

Hopefully Rovers excellent reply will get some airtime and maybe they could present Mick with a season ticket to come see for himself.

**SeanDrog** · 19/12/2008, 8:00 AM

In todays indo the Rovers letter is printed and Rovers have free publicity about the price of their season tickets in a national paper (pg 22) headline : "Rovers bare their teeth at CEO's claim"

Nice one IMO, well done Rovers (they saw a gap, shot and scored), I would actually thank Mr O;Leary for creating the opporunity.

**bennocelt** · 19/12/2008, 8:13 AM

Originally Posted by sullanefc

Its Mullingar Town I feel sorry for in all of this.

why? Surely MoL would not support football, and if he did it would be Mullingar Athletic

anyway MOL is great, feck the begrudgers and moaners - as someone else has posted, if it wasnt for Ryanair prices would never have came down

**Lenny82** · 19/12/2008, 8:21 AM

Jesus, will everybody relax a bit here and stop O'Leary bashing!!!

Aer Lingus came out and said that no way would they ever sell to/merge with their biggest rival. It would be like Manchester United and Liverpool joining forces.

O'Leary's comments were not intended to belittle Irish football, it was merely to put into perspective that the difference in quality was much greater than was suggested by Aer Lingus. Rovers are hardly world beaters now are they, and neither are Aer Lingus?

I think O'Leary has worked wonders for this country and has given people endless opportunities to travel to places for buttons as well as encouraging tourism in Ireland. I'm sure every pub in Temple Bar owes alot to O'Leary for filling their places on a weekly basis with British tourists. If it wasn't for Ryanair, Aer Lingus would still be ripping people off.