Ryanair personalised digital platform set for take-off

Ryanair is beginning a major push into digital with its new MyRyanair platform, seeking to become the Amazon for travel with the service.

The platform works as a personalisation engine for Ryanair customers, offering them the chance to create a personal profile with the site and app, storing payment and passport details securely, and getting suggestions from travel tips to hotel suggestions.

Customers can store preferences such as seat options, or use the app to find other travellers who may share transport with them at their destination. It will also facilitate personalised offers, and its fast-track service will go live for booking on MyRyanair next week.

MyRyanair was rolled out in a soft launch to a limited number of customers last year, but the airline is planning a major push on its digital offering as it tries to establish itself as leader in digital travel.

"Think of how Amazon works: you store all your account details," said Ryanair chief technology officer John Hurley. "MyRyanair is your account."

It’s designed to be a smarter system than that in place in the past and marks another move by the airline to make itself more consumer-friendly.

Ryanair’s new approach been well received by consumers too, with Mr Hurley saying the take-up of mobile boarding cards has been strong.

The platform was developed over 36,000 developer hours by Software firm Comtrade. It is designed to help speed consumers through the booking and check-in process, with the official figures claiming it is about 20 per cent faster.

According to Comtrade, the system can fill four 737 aircraft every minute at peak times.

It's designed to be scalable too, Comtrade's solutions and services business director for the UK and Ireland, Dejan Cusic, said. Ryanair currently has 106 million customers each year but is growing all the time and is targeting 180 million a year by 2024.

“MyRyanair is a central tool and first step in their strategy to transform the user experience,” he said.