It's just right ☺

Time is money, especially when it comes to running an airline. We travelers take so much for granted when we fly, that we scarcely give it any thought. We secure our tickets, we buy our tickets and then off we go, laughing.

But it’s not laughing matter and is actually something to think about, perhaps, even change our ways for the better. The cost for an airline to send a plane to a destination in Europe is highly variable and depends on a multitude of factors. It’s not a single fixed number, but rather a complex calculation involving both fixed and variable expenses. And there are a lot of expenses in the airline world.

If we think when the next time we fly, we may start to get into the groove to keep making good decisions. This post, courtesy of TheDutch Investors lays out how Ryanair thinks. FYI: Ryanair is an Irish airline that primarily operates flights within the European continent. The company conducts more than 3,500 flights daily and is the market leader in Europe in terms of passenger numbers.

Ryanair’s fleet consists almost entirely of Boeing 737 MAX types, with the exception of around twenty Airbus aircraft. By owning only a few aircraft types, Ryanair saves on training and maintenance costs. Additionally, it buys these aircraft in bulk during crises when it has a good bargaining position.

Ryanair is known for extreme cost efficiency, with (excluding fuel) nearly 40% lower costs than Wizz Air. This is due to requiring passengers to check in themselves and because Ryanair only flies to second- and third-tier airports.

Ryanair is also known for being able to load and unload aircraft extremely quickly, in just 25 minutes. The company has the highest load factor in aircraft compared to all European competitors. Sometime Ryanair get noise about some of their practices, but if you want to save money, they’re the one. Click here