Ryanair’s ‘guaranteed lowest fares’ are higher than rival’s
Ryanair is attempting to take a greater share of the independent ski market this winter by falsely claiming to offer the lowest fares to gateway airports in the Alps.
The airline offers 20 flights a week from London Stansted to Grenoble, Salzburg and Turin with fares starting from £29.99 and £36.99 one-way, including taxes and charges.
Spokesman Stephen McNamara said the airline "guaranteed" the lowest airfares to Europe’s best ski resorts.
"Ryanair will once again get British skiers straight to the slopes for far less than any other airline," he said. "With great value ski fares starting from just £29.99 one way, we guarantee the lowest fares and no fuel surcharge to Europe’s best ski resorts."
However, rival easyJet’s fares for flights from London to Salzburg start at £31.99 (including taxes and compulsory charges), £5 cheaper than Ryanair’s lowest fare to the city. Ryanair is only cheaper than easyJet on selected flights to Grenoble and Turin.
When asked to justify Ryanair’s claims, McNamara said: "Ryanair reviews its fares every day and if we spot a lower fare, which is unusual, we immediately cut our fares to ensure that Ryanair will always offer the lowest fares. The lowest fares on every route will always be available on www.ryanair.com."
However, Ryanair passengers who don’t have a Ryanair Cash Passport or prepaid MasterCard will be charged an additional £6 booking fee and those with luggage have to pay £15 to £25 per bag plus a further £50 for ski equipment. In comparison, easyJet charges £11 per bag and £25 for skis.
By Linsey McNeill
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
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Higher departure tax and visa cost, e-arrival card: Japan unleashes the fiscal weapon against tourists
Cyclone in Sri Lanka had limited effect on tourism in contrary to media reports
Singapore to forbid entry to undesirable travelers with new no-boarding directive
Euromonitor International unveils world’s top 100 city destinations for 2025