In an attempt to cut costs, Ryanair has published the intent to close all their check in counters at airports this year. Solely human-assisted luggage drop-off will be done before going through security. Of course, many (if not almost all European airlines) have introduced internet checkin in some form, but Ryanair openly targets the last group of 25% not checking in from home.

Next to that, Ryanair wants her customers to stop bringing luggage. Michael O'leary has some quotes on it: 

"We want to get rid of hold baggage. it's one of the biggest costs we have. If people feel they must take a lot of luggage, they can fly with our higher-fare competitors. If they want to fly round Europe with us for 5 or 10 pounds sterling, they will have to do it Ryanair's way."

The economic downturn is used by Ryanair to look at their cost even closer than they already did as a low cost carrier (they even start selling advertising space on their website), and by segmenting their target customers very clearly: people willing to book a standard product online, who check in and print their own boarding card at home, and take little (or better yet, no) luggage. 

It clearly is : "travel light and bright or pay high fares to some competitor".  We will see more companies choosing an even more clear segment of the market. My prediction is that the end of 2010 we will have more air operators choose between service and price. The next step for Michael O'leary is probably hold-baggage-free-flights (for business-day trips?) and sponsored inflight product offers (to be delivered after arrival back home).

 I am not too sure though, we will not see pay per kilo tickets (automatic weighing at the gate) shortly thereafter......

Source:  http://www.atwonline.com/news/story.html?storyID=15698