Ryanair today, Tuesday 12 August, released its August OTA Survey, reporting that popular online travel agencies, such as eDreams, Tix, Vola and Latamy, are overcharging up to 148% compared to prices offered directly on Ryanair.com.
According to the survey, these OTAs – none of which have a distribution agreement with Ryanair – are unjustifiably increasing the cost for customers. The highest overcharging was recorded at eDreams, which, as the airline reports, charges €15.01 for a seat reservation that costs just €6.05 on Ryanair’s website – that is, 148% more expensive.
Ryanair says it is continuing its campaign to protect consumers from harmful practices and overcharging by such OTAs, calling on EU governments, consumer ministers and relevant consumer protection authorities to introduce mandatory price transparency, equivalent to the standards maintained by the company’s “approved OTA partners”.
However, Ryanair stresses that many European agencies and consumer ministers are still ignoring the issue. Special reference is made to Spain, where – according to the company – eDreams, despite having a strong presence, continues to overcharge without facing any sanctions, with the Spanish Consumer Minister, Pablo Bustinduy, described by Ryanair as “inactive” in protecting Spanish consumers.
Ryanair’s Marketing & Digital Director, Dara Brady, said:
“The August investigation shows that a number of OTAs, which do not have a deal with Ryanair, such as eDreams, Tix, Vola and Latamy, continue to cause harm to unsuspecting consumers by overcharging them up to 148% above the prices on our website. Yet governments and consumer protection authorities, and the – in our opinion – useless Spanish Consumer Minister, Bustinduy, are doing nothing to prevent this harm. We call on EU governments and authorities to take immediate action against these overcharging, which are affecting consumers across Europe and in Spain in particular.”
