Ryanair Ends Prime Membership: What It Means for Travellers and the Airline Industry, Here’s All You Need to Know

Published on December 3, 2025

After eight months of launch, Ryanair has made the surprise announcement that it is to end its Prime membership scheme. The carrier confirmed it will close the €79-a-year subscription service on November 27, 2025. The program targeted frequent flyers, offering them additional benefits including free reserved seating, travel insurance, and special offers on seat sales. However, the airline found the scheme was actually more expensive than expected, as the money passengers saved due to membership outweighed the revenue brought in by the scheme.

A Program that Failed to Meet Expectations

Launched in March 2025, Ryanair’s Prime membership scheme was marketed as a solution for regular travellers seeking travel benefits without the premium pricing associated with traditional loyalty programs. For an annual fee of €79, members could access a range of perks, including reserved seating on flights, travel insurance, and monthly seat-sale offers. The scheme was capped at 250,000 members, yet only 55,000 passengers enrolled in the program.

Despite the relatively small uptake, Ryanair managed to generate €4.4 million in fees. However, the cost of providing benefits far outweighed the revenue. The airline reported that it provided more than €6 million in fare discounts to members, a gap that ultimately made the program unsustainable. Ryanair’s Chief Marketing Officer, Dara Brady, stated, “This level of memberships or subscription revenue does not justify the time and effort it takes to launch monthly exclusive Prime seat sales for our members.”

Understanding the Financial Strain

Ryanair’s Prime membership was designed to attract frequent flyers who could benefit from consistent travel perks. However, what the airline did not anticipate was the high frequency of benefits usage, leading to an imbalance between the costs of offering these perks and the revenue from subscriptions. For instance, members could access monthly seat-sale offers and free seat reservations, which, while appealing, led to a higher than expected demand for discounts.

Analysts have pointed out that subscription-based travel programs often face this issue. Once passengers perceive the value of the benefits, they tend to use them more frequently than airlines anticipate. For Ryanair, a low-cost carrier built around volume and tight margins, the idea of catering to a smaller loyalty group did not align with its business model, which prioritizes keeping fares low for all customers.

Impact on Travellers and the Loyalty Landscape

The discontinuation of Ryanair’s Prime membership is a significant development for both the airline and its customers. For passengers who valued the predictable perks at a fixed annual cost, the end of the program may be disappointing. The scheme had positioned itself as an affordable option for frequent travellers, especially those who fly multiple times a year. For example, passengers flying as little as a dozen times annually were told they could save up to €420. While these benefits were appealing, the airline was unable to sustain the cost-to-revenue ratio.

The failure of Ryanair’s Prime membership scheme is not only a blow to the airline’s short-lived loyalty experiment but also a reflection of shifting consumer behaviour in the travel industry. Today’s travellers are more likely to seek value in flexible, low-cost options rather than committing to subscription-based services. This change in consumer priorities is reshaping the landscape for loyalty programs, with more airlines opting for simpler, more straightforward rewards systems or focusing on low-fare structures that appeal to a wider audience.

Environmental and Economic Pressures on the Airline Industry

The discontinuation of Ryanair’s Prime membership scheme also intersects with broader debates surrounding air travel’s environmental impact. Campaign groups such as Stay Grounded have long criticized frequent flyer programs, arguing that they promote unnecessary trips and contribute to rising global emissions. These concerns have been echoed by the European Environment Agency, which has warned that loyalty schemes could undermine efforts to reduce transport-related greenhouse gases by 2030.

As airlines face increasing scrutiny over their environmental footprint, they are beginning to reconsider the sustainability of programs like Ryanair’s Prime membership. With growing pressure from both governments and consumers to adopt greener practices, Ryanair’s decision to move away from its subscription model may signal a shift in the airline industry towards more environmentally conscious and economically viable strategies.

Ryanair’s Return to Its Core Business Model

Despite the end of the Prime membership program, Ryanair remains committed to its core mission: providing low-cost travel options for passengers across Europe. The airline’s business model, which focuses on high volumes of low-cost passengers, has proven successful for decades. Ryanair’s decision to scale back its niche loyalty product and refocus on offering low fares for all customers is a move that aligns with the airline’s long-standing strategy.

For tourists and travellers, this means that Ryanair will continue to offer competitive prices, making travel across Europe more affordable than ever. While the Prime membership may have come to an early end, the airline’s commitment to low-cost fares remains unchanged. Passengers can still expect to book affordable flights to a wide range of destinations across the continent.

A Look Ahead: The Future of Loyalty Programs in Travel

As Ryanair phases out its Prime membership, the airline will likely continue to explore alternative ways to engage loyal customers without relying on complex subscription models. This could mean a greater focus on more straightforward rewards systems, or even more targeted offers based on frequent routes or destinations.

The broader travel industry, too, will likely see a continued shift away from subscription-based loyalty models. As travellers seek more flexible and affordable options, airlines and travel companies will need to adapt to new consumer demands. The focus will likely be on offering value through low-cost options, personalized services, and seamless travel experiences rather than through the traditional subscription-based perks that dominated the loyalty landscape in years past.

Ryanair’s Strategic Shift

The move by Ryanair to discontinue its Prime membership program showed how quickly the travel industry can adapt in response to changing consumer preferences and economic pressure. As the carrier refocuses on its low-cost model, it remains to be seen how other airlines will evolve their loyalty strategy against a backdrop of changing traveller expectations and environmental concerns. For now, its core mission remains unchanged: to provide affordable and accessible travel to all.