RYANAIR HAS ANNOUNCED a new subscription service allowing customers reserved seating, travel insurance and exclusive access to some seating.

The €79 annual ‘Prime’ membership will be available for the first 250,000 customers who sign up, netting the airline a maximum of €19.7 million a year if the service proves attractive.

The scheme also allows access to a monthly offer where members will be offered exclusive seat sales for flights.

Such subscription models have been deployed by rival airlines in recent years, getting customers to pay a flat fee in return for discounts.

Ryanair estimates that members who fly three times per year will save €105, which it adds would amount to more than the €79 cost of becoming a Prime member.

Ryanair marketing director Dara Brady said it was aimed at customers who “like flying regularly while also saving money”, adding that it will deliver “savings of €420 for members who fly 12 times per year”.

The subscription service will be open on a first come-first served basis before closing after it reaches the quarter of a million mark.