Ryanair is revisiting the issue of excessive charges by some online travel agencies (OTAs), accusing them of “opaque practices” and European authorities of “complete inaction”.
Ryanair, Europe’s largest low-cost airline, is revisiting the issue of excessive charges by some online travel agencies (OTAs), accusing them of “opaque practices” and European authorities of “complete inaction”.
According to Ryanair’s latest monthly survey on overcharging by OTAs, released today (11 November), websites such as eDreams, Tix, Fru and Vola continue to charge consumers prices up to three times higher than those offered by the company itself through its official website.
The airline says the investigation marks two years of systematic exposure of such practices by OTAs, without any substantive action from EU governments or national consumer protection authorities.
Ryanair’s chief marketing officer, Dara Brady, said:
“The November investigation shows that eDreams, Tix, Fru and Vola continue to overcharge unsuspecting consumers by up to three times the prices on Ryanair’s website. It is unacceptable that, after two full years of publishing these reports, governments and national authorities have done nothing to protect travellers.”
Ryanair is once again calling on European governments and relevant authorities to impose transparency rules on OTA prices, similar to those that apply to the company’s “approved partners”. It claims that only through mandatory disclosure of all additional charges will consumer protection be ensured.
In a particularly sharp tone, Ryanair again criticized the Spanish authorities, speaking of the “incompetence” of the country’s Consumer Ministry and Minister Bustinduy, whom it described as “useless”, and asked them to take action against misleading practices that, as it claims, harm travelers and airlines that adhere to transparency rules.
The airline has in recent years openly clashed with several popular booking platforms, accusing them of overcharging, delays in informing passengers and misleading refund policies. For their part, many OTAs have refuted the accusations, claiming that they operate legally and provide additional services that justify the cost.
Ryanair continues to encourage consumers to book directly through ryanair.com or its official app, claiming that this way they ensure the lowest price and full access to flight updates and booking changes.
