Once Again, Ryanair Proves It Will Go To Extreme Measures To Keep Flights Super Cheap (RYAAY)

Michael O'Leary, the famously charismatic CEO of Irish budget airline Ryanair, is known for pushing the limits of air travel when it comes to keeping fares low. In 2008, the low-cost carrier began levying a £6 (about $8.40) administrative fee on debit and credit card payments.Click here to see past cost-cutting measures > Today, Ryanair is pledging to keep the last-minute booking fee, despite the Treasury's plans to ban airlines and other businesses from tacking on hidden charges to Internet transactions. Ryanair is trying to wriggle its way around the proposed legislation by claiming that the credit and debit card surcharge is an "administrative fee," and not a processing fee passed on by the banks, according to The Daily Mail. In September 2011, the low-cost carrier launched its own pre-paid card, "Ryanair Cash Passport," as the only way for passengers to avoid booking fees. Any passenger that purchases the prepaid MasterCard and does not use it after six months, however, will face an inactivity fee of £2.50 (about $3.50) per month.Ready to see all the other crazy things Ryanair has done to keep flights super cheap?Introducing standing-room-only seating In July 2010, Ryanair introduced plans to charge passengers £4 (about $6) for standing-room-only seats.The proposal involved removing the back 10 rows of seats from the airline's 250 planes and replacing them with 15 rows of vertical seats. Ryanair claimed to be shopping the idea to Boeing, but the jetmaker wasn't too fond of bypassing European safety regulations to help customers save a few pennies. Asking overweight passengers to pay moreIn 2009, Ryanair proposed a "fat tax" for overweight passengers after one-third of travelers voted in favor of the extra charge in an online poll conducted by the Irish carrier, according to The Guardian. One month later, the airline said it was dumping the contentious tactic because there was no way to collect the money without causing delays. Charging customers to use the toiletIn 2009, Ryanair considered charging passengers £1 (about $1.40) to use the toilets on board.CEO Michael O'Leary told the BBC:One thing we have looked at in the past, and are looking at again, is the possibility of maybe putting a coin slot on the toilet door, so that people might actually have to spend a pound to spend a penny in future. In 2011, the airline confirmed it was dropping the coin-operated scheme in favor of another controversial plan.See the rest of the story at Business InsiderPlease follow Getting There on Twitter and Facebook.See Also:PHOTOS: Take A Nostalgic Ride On A Vintage Subway Car In New York City10 Great Cars We Wish Were Available In AmericaSaab Goes Bankrupt: Here Are 5 Quirky Models That Make Us Nostalgic

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