Ryanair planning in-flight bingo, gambling

Singapore Airlines has its heavenly seats, and Virgin has textual Q&A sessions, so you knew Europe's low-cost leader in air travel had to find a gimmick of its own to implement before long. Should its in-flight calling proposal get the big thumbs-up from regulatory agencies, the airline is planning on giving customers the ability to play online bingo and a "number of other instant-win games" that will offer jackpots in excess of £200,000 ($380,000). To assist in promoting the in-flight gambling service, the company has teamed up with JackpotJoy to offer Ryanair's games on its website, and Ryanair's own CEO has already announced his plans to make "millions upon millions" off the deal. While we're certainly down with in-flight gaming creating lower ticket prices, encouraging gambling in order to so is admittedly dodgy, but if all goes as planned, you can roll your own dice starting in "mid-2007."

[Via CNET]

[Sam @ Nov 3rd 2006 4:52PM]

I'm still curious about if you will be required to gamble to get free tickets or discounts. Or will enough people gamble that non-gamblers could take advantage of free (or cheap) flights?

[Gil @ Nov 3rd 2006 4:54PM]

...why?

Seriously a typical flight in the EU takes something like 100 minutes. Cross union maybe double that.

[mark Kempken @ Nov 3rd 2006 4:56PM]

"Ryanair planning in-flight bingo, gambling"

hahahahaha..... ryanair = totaly f'd up !!!

[Carl @ Nov 3rd 2006 5:13PM]

lol! Yet another reason not fly ryan! Ryanir has taken everything thats sucks with flying coach, made it a lot worse and now tops it with IN FLIGHT BINGO!

[Austin @ Nov 3rd 2006 6:05PM]

As an Irish person I am so ashamed of Ryanair - let me count the ways...

The bottomed out seats - honest you sit on had plastic
The staff are SO RUDE, stupid, ignornat
etc
etc
etc

as we say - Knacker air

[Alex @ Nov 3rd 2006 6:23PM]

Indeed Ryanair is probably the worst airline ever (though a lucky few can get tickets dirt cheap, whilst some are over �200, and very many are only �10-20 less than BA, and they give u a meal, snacks, and let you bring a suitcase).

Anyhow, on Ryanair the staff do not speak English well, the seats are plastic and dont recline at all, there are not even seat back pockets ot hold your magazine. Furthermore, boarding ryanair is like being at a riot! At least the onboard gambling will make this airline a ot more civilised!

[Bill @ Nov 3rd 2006 6:31PM]

I wonder if they'll charge disabled passengers more to play...

[NG @ Nov 3rd 2006 6:31PM]

I made the mistake of flying DieInAir a few months ago, and the experience is definitely something I don't want to repeat. I realise that flying with cheap-ass airlines doesn't get your any frills, but I don't consider rude staff, dirty floors / chairs and bare wires showing on the emergency lighting strip to be acceptable even at that price. With the addition of air-bingo, they just made my airline choice much easier.

[eoin @ Nov 3rd 2006 9:12PM]

actually they've had that deal going for while (sorta). you can buy tickets in the flight to enter a draw for a new car... its pretty shamefull that they would make their money this way but hey. some of the floghts are priced at �0.01 which is just ridiculous, but great.

[fraggle_rocker @ Nov 4th 2006 5:02AM]

aerlingus sell scratch cards, they are a premium service. I dont see why ryanair trying to get a good system is all of a sudden bad.

Ive flown ryanair and aerlingus tons of times, you get what you pay for, and if i could get the flight to the place i was going with ryanair id take it over aerlingus anyday. The irish flight staff have always been able to speak english and have always been nothing but nice to me.

An aerlingus staff member actually pushed me, PUSHED me, when i accidentally qued up too early for the plane and was supposed to get on with the second half of people.

You get what you pay for, a cheap flight staffed by lower paid staff, give them a brake and they will always be nice to you. Aerlingus seats are more comfortable, but for a fiver i dont really care. In my opinion the seats aint even 5 euro more comfortable.

That said, i get public buses in dublin all the time, so i know what uncomfortable seats are.

[Rodney Sharples @ Nov 4th 2006 9:22AM]

I too am an irish person horrified at the prospect of
this awful airlinebuying Ireland's national carrier (aer lingus).

I could bore you to death with stories of how
truly sh!t they are. I will pay any money not
to fly with them.
The next logical step for Ryanair is the provision of
in-flight porn. Being stuck between two guys
j�rking-off would be a good reflection of
the ryanair "experience".

[Dave @ Nov 4th 2006 12:21PM]

Games of chance on an airplane -- brilliant!!