Forgive and forget?

Last September after the worst profits warning in its history, notoriously nasty Ryanair launched a major charm offensive which included a previously shunned social media presence, clearer terms and conditions, and a reduction in its much-hated hidden fees.

After years of maintaining that providing ‘cheap’ travel meant that customer complaints could be ignored, it appears Ryanair has suddenly realised that this, this, this, this, this, oh and this, isn’t generally the way a successful brand treats its customers. Although in keeping with the brand’s reputation, the about-turn seems to be for financial reasons as opposed to philanthropic ones.

So six months later, has it worked? Have the critics been tempted to give them one last chance?

Well so far, according to YouGov’s Brand Index rating, while there’s been a small improvement, Ryanair is still languishing at the bottom of the customer satisfaction scale.

This doesn’t surprise me. While it’s a good start, as a devout boycotter of Ryanair since 2007 following one too many stressful, frustrating, and downright awful experiences, it’s going to take a lot more than a snazzy new website to make me fly with them again.