Ryanair investigates eDreams and Booking.com for inflated prices

Key information

• eDreams charged 15.62 euros for a reserved seat which only costs 5.62 euros on the official Ryanair website.
• Booking.com has overcharged customers on flights from other airlines, despite prices being lower when booked directly on the airline’s website.
• The December investigation found inflated prices of up to 178 percent above rates set by airlines for services such as reserved seats, airline tickets, priority boarding and baggage.

A recent investigation by Ryanair in December reveals that online travel agencies (OTAs) such as eDreams and Booking.com continue to engage in price gouging.

eDreams posted the biggest markups, charging customers 15.62 euros for a reserved seat that costs just 5.62 euros on Ryanair’s official website. The OTA also inflated prices for the priority boarding service, charging 13.18 euros against the real price of 6.18 euros on Ryanair.com, and for a 10 kg bag, eDreams charged 26.99 euros against the reasonable price of 12.99 euros offered directly by Ryanair.

Booking.com also exposed

Booking.com has also come under scrutiny for overcharging flights from other airlines, despite prices being significantly lower when booked directly on the company’s website.

Ryanair advocates for the protection of consumers against these deceptive practices of OTAs and urges European governments and consumer protection authorities to implement measures guaranteeing price transparency across all OTAs. Like Ryanair’s ‘approved OTA’ partners who already adhere to clear pricing structures, all OTAs should be obliged to offer consumers fair and honest pricing information.

Ryanair calls for action

Ryanair representative Dara Brady said the December investigation continues to expose overcharging tactics employed by eDreams and Booking.com, which charge unsuspecting customers inflated prices of up to 178 percent over above the rates set by airlines for various services such as reserved seats, airfares, priority boarding and baggage. Ryanair is committed to protecting consumers from these harmful practices and calls on European governments and consumer protection authorities to take immediate action against these non-transparent practices by online travel agencies.

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