Ryanair: How a budget airline took off on TikTok

If the best things in life are free, you won't find many of them on a Ryanair flight - and its social media accounts aren't shy to say so. On TikTok, Insta and X, the company's become known for ripping into its passengers and its own reputation. Being rude and obnoxious to your customers might not seem like the best approach, but the brand's viral burns have earned it 2.1m followers on TikTok - half a million more than EasyJet, Jet2, Tui, British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and Etihad combined. And while corporate LOLs might make a lack of legroom easier to swallow, is there another reason brands want us to see the funny side? One man who knows is Michael Corcoran. He was the head of Ryanair's social media until he recently announced his resignation on - where else? - X. Hundreds of people replied praising him for turning the Irish airline into an online star, and shared some of their greatest hits. Examples included talking planes roasting customers, and the company telling complaining passengers to "bring their own plane" next time they fly. And there were more than a few references to 11A - the notoriously unpopular airline seat number with its own meme.<br/>