A while back I joked about how airlines were missing some fee opportunities, including putting a coin slot on the restroom.

You know the old saying that most things said in jest have a kernel of truth? I bring you Irish airline Ryanair, which back in March was reportedly considering a more modern twist: Swiping a credit card to gain entry to the loo.

George Hobica from airfarewatchdog.com told Matt Phillips of the Wall Street Journal that paying for bathroom use is more common in Europe, so there may not be as much outrage overseas over the proposal.

http://s.wsj.net/media/swf/main.swf

Though the bathroom fee has not been implemented, it’s not off the table. As recently as a week ago, Ryanair’s Stephen McNamara wrote in a point-counterpoint piece implied that everything beyond the price of the seat remains in play.

Our commitment to cutting fares has even led us to consider asking passengers to pay for using the toilet. While we have no current plans to introduce such a charge, it shows our commitment to ensuring that we keep our seat costs low by asking passengers to pay for optional services.

Optional? Wonder if security would let me bring a catheter in my carry-on?