The airline accuses online agencies of charging excessive amounts for baggage and seat selection. The main culprit is eDreams, which charged 176% for a booking compared to the Ryanair website.
Ryanair has accused several major online travel agencies of charge excessive amounts to European travelers, inflating the cost of flights and extras such as baggage and seat reservations.
The low-cost airline is calling on EU governments to take immediate action to protect consumers of what he calls “harmful practices”.
In a new report released this week, Ryanair highlighted surcharges imposed by the most popular agencies, including eDreams, Tix and Vola, which are enticing customers to pay significantly more than if they had booked directly through the airline’s website.
According to Ryanair’s findings, eDreams was the “worst offender”, charging €15.67 for a reserved seat that costs just €5.67 on the Ryanair platform — a 176% surcharge. The agency also added 27.07 euros for a 10 kg bag, more than double Ryanair’s standard rate of 12.99 euros.
Tix charged 17.50 euros for seats and 45.59 euros for a 20 kg bag, while Vola charged 25 euros for both priority boarding and a 10 kg bag, which represents a surcharge of 47%, note a.
“Despite this evidence of consumer harm, many EU governments and consumer protection authorities, notably the useless Consumer Minister Spanish Bustinduy, do nothing to prevent this harm,” said Dara Brady, Director of Marketing and Digital at Ryanair, in a scathing statement. “These excessive charges continue to harm consumers across Spain and the EU.”
Ryanair argues that these inflated prices often pass unnoticed by passengerswho believe they are finding the best deals on third-party sites. The company calls for regulatory intervention to ensure greater transparency and prevent what it describes as “avoidable additional costs” imposed by agencies.
While agencies often advertise lower base fares, research shows that when customers add baggage, seat selection and other extras, the total cost often exceeds direct price of the airline. A 2023 study by Which? discovered that booking through these sites can be up to 115 euros more expensive than booking directly with airlines such as Ryanair, easyJet and Wizz Air.
Travel experts recommend that passengers compare total fares, including baggage and seat fees, before completing a purchase.
