Ryanair, the largest low-cost airline in Europe, has been following a strategy for years that stands out for the particularly aggressive – often provocative – way in which it exerts business and public pressure. From clashes with online travel platforms (OTAs) to harsh complaints against airports and European institutions, Ryanair has developed a unique model: first it attacks, then it negotiates and finally it cooperates with those who accept its terms.
OTAs: From “pirates” to “approved partners”
Ryanair has repeatedly accused unauthorized online travel agencies of “piracy”, hidden fees and misleading information, excluding its flights from their websites. But this tactic is accompanied by a parallel “taming” strategy: those platforms that accept the company’s strict rules – full price transparency and direct connection to myRyanair – are included in the list of “Approved OTAs”.
The most recent and emblematic agreement is that with Booking Holdings (Booking.com, KAYAK, Priceline, Agoda), which was announced yesterday. Travelers who book through these brands will now have access to Ryanair’s entire network of 235+ destinations, with full price transparency and without the need to verify their details. Thus, reservations will be automatically linked to myRyanair, ensuring that passengers receive all critical updates directly from the airline.
“The new partnership with Booking Holdings ensures that our customers will have full price transparency and immediate information,” said Ryanair CMO, Dara Brady. For its part, Booking Holdings spoke of “greater choice and value”, underlining the strategic nature of the agreement.
With this agreement, Booking Holdings is added to the list of “Approved OTAs”, alongside names such as Expedia, TUI, loveholidays, lastminute and On the Beach.
Aggressive rhetoric as a pressure tool
Ryanair’s strategy is not limited to OTAs. The company systematically adopts a belligerent style towards institutions and authorities that it considers responsible for delays or additional costs.
In August 2025, the company issued two separate announcements about air traffic problems – one for Athens and one for Belgrade – using harsh language towards the European Commission and its President, Ursula von der Leyen, whom it ironically dubbed “Ursula von Derlayed-Again”.
In the case of Athens, Ryanair complained of a “machinery failure” at the Air Traffic Control Centre, which delayed 12 flights and affected over 2,000 passengers, underlining that from the beginning of the year until August, almost 900,000 of its passengers had been affected by similar problems in Greece.
A few days later, regarding the controllers’ strikes in Belgrade, it complained that 99 flights were delayed in just two days, affecting over 17,800 passengers, even those simply flying over Serbia. The statement directly called on the EU to “take action or resign”, demanding two simple measures: full staffing for morning departures and protection of overflights during national strikes.
A strategy that works
Whether it is OTAs or institutions, Ryanair has a consistent tactic: public attack, pressure and negotiation with the ultimate goal of imposing its own terms. This method provokes reactions, but confirms the company’s dominant role in shaping the rules in the European aviation market.
Ryanair claims that with this aggressive strategy it protects its passengers from hidden charges, delays and unfair practices. Critics, on the contrary, consider that it is often a communication “show” that functions more as a marketing tool than as a substantive intervention.
In any case, Ryanair’s model remains unique: Europe’s most aggressive low-cost carrier continues to shape the agenda, pressure institutions and partners, and conclude strategic agreements that serve its own, clearly defined, interest.
