Unfortunately some of the airports I care about only have connections mostly with low cost, Ryanair and others.
If regular lines would care to offer similar connections, I would gladly pay a bit more.
By now they have so many unique routes people with more willingness to spend have to fly Ryanair anyway (or do a layover with a “premium” airline).
People often say they'd gladly pay a bit more, but I don't think that's how they act.
In the case of Ryanair, I think not using them often means that a casual weekend away could become a much bigger dent in my family's monthly budget.