Discover how budget airlines use clever upselling tricks to empty your wallet. Learn to resist consumer culture and redefine success on your own terms.
Written 2nd January 2025
I have a business. I make a comfortable living for me from it, way under even £15k per year.
I've just come back on Ryanair from Portugal. We joined the long queue to check our suitcase in. We watched as the priority check in queue whizzed by... for about 20 minutes. Then we all went through security together. Then we joined the non priority boarding gate checkpoint queue. We watched as the priority check in queue whizzed by... for about 5 minutes. Same thing boarding the plane... but we all still had to join the same queue for climbing the steps to board the plane. We looked at the lucky people sitting in the extra leg room seats as we waited to get into our 'standard leg room' seats. We watched as the hostesses wondered past with their trolley of beverages and food as we tucked into our recycled bottle of free drinking water, banana and leftover crisps from our holiday. It was only a 2 hour flight at 6am so how much do you really need? We waived away the duty free magazine followed by its trolley as we'd got our bits in the shops while away.
Pretty much every possible part of the flight Ryanair could get more money out of you for, they charge extra for. They know that we all tend to be a little bit 'I'm on holiday, might as well enjoy it, it's only another few £'s and I don't want to queue' and we purchase these extra's. The people on very tight budgets just being happy with their lot, still getting a nice holiday and break away from the stresses of their life and being grateful for it and accepting of this fact.
Ryanair announced record profits down 5% on the previous year of £1.6 billion. FOR 6 MONTHS. Clearly run by some very astute individuals. Are they stressed? Are there deadlines and board meetings and backstabbing and squeezing more money out of working class folk so they can enjoy a week or two with their families and friends? Get away from the stresses and strains and monotony and sometimes doom and gloom of everyday life?
Is that what this world has become?
Is my business successful?
What is the measure of a successful business to you?
Record profits, or living a comfortable, environmentally responsible life from one?
Remember these big companies are all competing for your money.
True success isn't about making record profits or paying for priority lines—it's about living a comfortable life completely on your own terms. Sign up to the Team Me Movement email to get your weekly dose of tough love and learn how to stop feeding corporate giants today.