Ryanair’s Prime Membership Scheme: Read the Small Print, Warns Which?
Ryanair has launched a yearly membership scheme, Prime, which promises benefits such as free reserved seats and cheap flights for a fee of £79 per person per year. However, consumer group Which? is warning potential customers to carefully read the small print before joining.
According to The Guardian, the Prime membership scheme offers 12 free seat reservations, travel insurance, and monthly access to a sale. Nevertheless, the terms and conditions reveal several limitations. The "free reserved seats" advertised are limited to specially designated seats, and if these are no longer available, members will either have to accept a randomly allocated seat or pay for a different seat, minus the Prime seat cost.
The travel insurance provided only covers trips involving a Ryanair flight, and medical protections are not available for individuals over 70 years old. Moreover, the details of the "12 member-only seat sales" promised by Ryanair are unclear, and it is uncertain how these differ from the regular seat sales already offered by the airline.
Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel, told The Guardian that people should "think twice" before committing to the Prime membership scheme. "The service is full of caveats when it comes to seat selection, while Ryanair’s travel insurance offers poor cover compared with cheaper policies that are rated highly by Which?," Boland stated. "There’s little detail on Ryanair’s exclusive deals for Prime subscribers, or how they would differ from the many offers and deals Ryanair already sends out to customers or features on its website."
As reported by The Guardian, other low-cost airlines, such as Wizz and EasyJet, also offer membership schemes. Wizz’s Discount Club has four different layers of membership, priced from €60 (£51) to €385 (£327) per year, which provide discounts on flights, free cabin bags, and priority boarding, depending on the level of membership. EasyJet’s Plus membership, priced at £249 per person, offers premium seats, a dedicated bag drop area, speedier boarding, and other benefits.
In an interview with The Guardian, Which? Travel’s Rory Boland emphasised the importance of carefully reviewing the terms and conditions before joining any membership scheme. "It’s essential to consider whether the benefits of the membership scheme outweigh the costs and to be aware of any limitations or restrictions," Boland said.
The Prime membership scheme is the latest offering from Ryanair, which has been expanding its services in recent years. According to The Guardian, the airline’s new membership scheme is designed to provide customers with a range of benefits and discounts. However, with Which?’s warnings in mind, potential customers would be wise to approach the scheme with caution and thoroughly read the small print before making a decision.
For more information on Ryanair’s Prime membership scheme and Which?’s warnings, readers can visit The Guardian’s website. The article, which first reported on the story, provides a detailed breakdown of the membership scheme’s benefits and limitations, as well as comparisons with other low-cost airlines’ membership schemes.
The information in this article was sourced from: The Guardian – https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/may/10/ryanair-membership-scheme-which-advises-read-the-small-print.
