Ryanair holidays on the rise but bikinis are out as “cabin crew stunners” calendar paused
Michael “What part of ‘no refund’ don’t you understand” O’Leary took himself away from the job of airline spokesperson last year, after he announced the company would be replacing its notoriously unhelpful customer service strategy with something of a charm offensive.
The secret weapon of said charm offensive was revealed as new chief marketing officer Kenny Jacobs and we suspect he has had his first coup. Getting rid of the Ryanair “cabin crew stunners” charity calendar.
At yesterday’s first quarter results conference, Ryanair said it would have a “pause and think” about the calendar, in a bid to find something less, er, trashy, to raise money. Jacobs joked they might create a calendar featuring the management team in bikinis instead. It wasn’t too long ago the company was defending the boobstastic publication, claiming “there’s nothing demeaning about our people volunteering to raise money.” No, nothing at all, especially if they’ve got a nice pair, eh?
O’Leary admitted yesterday he wished he’d morphed into his new, cuddlier self earlier (well, the 152 per cent increase in Q1 profits agrees with him). The outspoken boss likened his old attitude to Millwall FC, with its famous chant “no one likes us, we don’t care”.
Perhaps these lyrics from O’Leary’s favourite team Man City and its anthem Blue Moon, are better suited now: “I heard someone whisper please adore me. And when I looked the moon had turned to gold.” That’s 152 per cent more gold.