Ryanair accused of misleading customers over eDreams dispute
Ryanair has been accused of misleading the public over its row with online travel agent eDreams, and of standing in the way of screenscraper sites who can offer customers the best deals.
In the latest round of an ongoing battle between the airline and the Spanish company, Ryanair has accused eDreams of continuing to sell non-existent flights despite changes made by the OTA following a CAA investigation.
The low-cost airline had complained to the regulator that eDreams and its sister site Opodo had been using subdomains and websites with branding identical to Ryanair’s to trick the public into thinking they were booking direct with the carrier.
Following the CAA investigation, both sites have changed their Google Adwords practices to ensure consumes are clearly shown that search results related to their websites.
Also, eDreams and Opodo have changed the appearance of their websites to make customers aware that they aren’t booking with an airline.
Additionally, the CAA has insisted the two sites displayed headline prices inclusive of additional charges when paying by debit cards.
However, Ryanair claimed that eDeams is continuing to sell non-existent fares and it has called on the CAA to take further action.
But eDreams insists its customers have ‘full visibility’ of available fares and any charges, and can receive information about flight changes, such as delays or cancellations, through its free mobile app.
"We have been working closely with the CAA and we’re pleased that they recognise the work we have done to make our customer experience smoother and clearer," said a spokeswoman.
"Ryanair will soon be undergoing a CAA investigation into ‘unfair charges’, and face the threat of a class action lawsuit from over 5,000 unhappy consumers on the same issue.
"They would be wise to spend their time on improving the way they treat their own customers, instead of standing in the way of consumers using sites like eDreams to get the best deal and the most convenient combination of flights.
"Close to half of our customers book a combination of flights which cannot be booked on any single airline website. These customers are saving money and getting to the location of their choice at a time that is convenient for them."
But Ryanair chief marketing officer Kenny Jacobs said the changes don’t go far enough.
"While these changes will help prevent more customers being misled, it’s important to note that Ryanair has no commercial agreement whatsover with eDreams or Opodo, who continue to engage in unauthorised screenscraping and sell on Ryanair’s low fares at inflated prices.
"We call on the CAA to take further action to stop eDreams and Opodo from advertising non-existent fares, which are then inflated through additional charges and we again urge customers to book directly on the Ryanair.com website to avoid eNightmares."
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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