Ryanair agreed to accept American Express cards for a fee "of 2 percent of the total transaction value" on top of other booking fees.

The Irish low-cost carrier cast the move as a play to gain more bookings from "business travelers, travel agents and corporate travel departments," according to a statement attributed to deputy chief executive and CFO Howard Millar. He estimated that "20 percent to 25 percent of our passengers are traveling on business" and hinted at further plans to "roll out a range of business-tailored services."