With its new investigation, Ryanair brings to light extensive overcharges on basic flight services by online travel agencies (OTAs), denouncing platforms such as eDreams, Tix and Vola which charge consumers prices up to 125% higher than those of the airline itself, as for a seat that costs 8 euros on the airline’s website they charge 18 euros (eDreams case).
These platforms, as Ryanair complains, are not proceeding with an agreement with it as they seek to continue overcharging consumers.
According to the low-cost carrier’s September survey, OTAs are charging unjustified fees for services such as seat selection, baggage transfer and priority boarding, without having any official partnership with Ryanair.
eDreams: the “champion” in overcharging
The biggest discrepancy is found on the Spanish platform eDreams. According to Ryanair, eDreams, among other things, charges more than double the price for a 10kg hand luggage (€25.72, compared to €12.09 for the airline).
Examples from Tix and Vola
In a table showing the relevant charges of OTAs, Ryanair mentions the following prices…
Tix: Charges €15.68 for a seat reservation (compared to €8 for Ryanair, +96%), while for a 20kg bag it charges €39.19, when at Ryanair the cost is €26.99 (+45%).
Vola: Priority boarding is priced at €25 instead of €16 (+56%), while seat reservation reaches €15.75 compared to €11 for Ryanair (+43%).
Pressure on EU authorities
Ryanair points out that it continues its campaign to protect EU consumers from harmful practices used by OTAs such as eDreams, Tix and Vola. It urges EU governments and consumer protection authorities to take action and demand mandatory transparency in OTA pricing, in line with the price transparency policy of Ryanair’s “Approved OTA” partners.
Despite repeated warnings, it stresses, many of the European Consumer Agencies and Ministers continue to ignore the harm caused to consumers by these OTA overcharges.
It also highlights that eDreams, a Spanish OTA, continues to overcharge its unsuspecting Spanish customers, and fires arrows at the Spanish Minister of Consumer Protection Pablo Bustinduy, who, it says, is not taking any action to defend them.
