Ryanair Exposes Overcharging by Online Travel Agencies in Recent Survey
In an eye-opening revelation, Ryanair's February OTA (Online Travel Agency) Pirate survey spotlighted On The Beach as the leading offender in overcharging customers, marking a staggering 117% markup (£125) for a mere £45 flight change fee available on Ryanair's own website. This survey is part of Ryanair's ongoing crusade against OTA Pirates, which includes notorious names like Lastminute.com, eDreams, Opodo, and Booking.com, for their dubious practices of overcharging and mis-selling.
Dara Brady of Ryanair articulated the issue, emphasizing the company's commitment to fighting these malpractices. The survey unveiled not just On The Beach's exorbitant overcharges but also highlighted Opodo's €60 "service" fee for a non-existent service and eSky's €33 "cancellation" fee for non-cancellable flights. These instances are part of a broader pattern of digital piracy and anti-consumer mis-selling that Ryanair is determined to combat.
Ryanair's efforts aim to prompt UK and Irish Governments and EU consumer agencies into action to halt these unfair practices. As OTA Pirates continue to unlawfully scrape Ryanair.com to inflate charges, Ryanair stands firm in its resolve to expose and eradicate these scams, advocating for stronger regulatory measures to protect consumers from such exploitation.