Ryanair calls for transparency in prices charged by European OTAs

Alleges eDreams overcharges Prime members by up to 78 pc
2024-09-12
/
/ New Delhi
Ryanair calls for transparency in prices charged by European OTAs

According to a press statement by Ryanair, eDreams advertises an inflated price of EUR 39.49 for a reserved seat on British Airways that costs just EUR 23

European Online Travel Agents are significantly overcharging their customers, alleges Ryanair calling for transparency in the way the OTAs charge their customers for reserved seats, baggage and other services.
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Irish ultralow cost carrier Ryanair has begun a war with various European Online Travel Agencies alleging that they significantly overcharge their customers for all add-on services, while claiming to be offering discounts.

In its August OTA survey, Ryanair alleges that the Spanish OTA eDreams continues to overcharge its eDreams Prime members by up to 78 pc for a 10 kg bag on Spanish low-cost airline Vueling that costs only EUR 18 on the airline website.

According to a press statement by Ryanair, eDreams advertises an inflated price of EUR 39.49 for a reserved seat on British Airways that costs just EUR 23 on the airline’s website, overcharging by about 72 pc.

Ryanair calls for consumer protection from overcharging OTAs, like eDreams

Ryanair calls for consumer protection from overcharging OTAs, like eDreams

Ryanair says that although eDreams was not selling Ryanair fares in August it was overcharging its Prime members for other airline flights and products, causing real consumer harm.

The airline alleges that the latest OTA survey proves that eDreams ‘Prime’ service is misleading consumers into paying a yearly Prime subscription under the false promise of ‘savings’.

The statement adds that Ryanair calls for consumer protection from overcharging OTAs, like eDreams. In April, Ryanair submitted a complaint to  Pablo Bustinduy, Spanish Consumer Affairs Minister calling on him to outlaw eDreams Prime and to require all OTAs to offer consumers transparent pricing, just like Ryanair’s ‘Approved OTA’ partners now do. 

It adds that, however, 4 months later, Bustinduy hasn’t taken any action to protect Spanish consumers from these eDream overcharges.

Dara Brady

Dara Brady

“It is disappointing that eDreams has again been exposed by our August OTA survey, which shows that eDreams is overcharging its “Prime” members by up to 78 pc for airline flights and services. It is concerning that Spanish consumers are being misled into believing that they are getting discounted prices when they sign up for eDreams “Prime” membership (at an annual cost of EUR 69.99), when in reality, eDreams is inflating airlines’ fares and ancillary product prices by up to 78 pc as set out in the above table while wrongly claiming to offer Prime members ‘discounts’ yet it still results in higher prices for these consumers than booking them directly with the airlines,” says Dara Brady, Director, Marketing, Digital and Communications, Ryanair.

“This is real evidence of consumers being overcharged and it is unacceptable that EU Govts and Spain’s Consumer Ministry stand idly by, while consumers are being overcharged/harmed by this eDreams “Prime” service. Ryanair again calls on EU Govts and Spain’s Consumer Authorities to outlaw these eDreams Prime overcharges and protect Spanish consumers from these harmful OTA overcharges,” adds Brady.

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