Distribution Strategies

Ryanair has agreed to make the “hidden costs” of its flights clearer following action by the consumer watchdog Office of Fair Trading (OFT).

Published: 06 Jul 2009

Ryanair has agreed to make the “hidden costs” of its flights clearer following action by the consumer watchdog Office of Fair Trading (OFT).

The airline said it has made “minor adjustments” recommended by the OFT to improve its website and advertising.

The steps are described as voluntary and designed to “increase clarity and transparency” of the Ryanair website and adverts.

As per the information available, Ryanair has made following changes: It now backs-up its 'Price Guarantee' promise with more thorough terms and conditions. Under the promise, Ryanair sometimes pays holidaymakers double the difference between its fare and a cheaper equivalent; It now displays a more prominent link on its website explaining its extra charges; It gives greater prominence to information about promotional offer terms and conditions, such as when advertised prices are not available.

Meanwhile, the airline stated that its June traffic increased by 13 percent to 5.8 million passengers, a new monthly record, smashing the 5.7 million passenger record set in August 2008. Ryanair also carried over 60 million passengers in the 12 months to the end of June – a new annual traffic record.

Recently, BA had launched an online price checker to highlight no-frills airlines’ “hidden” additional charges. BA’s Value Checker allows consumers to see how much extra they have to pay the value airlines for additional features including using a debit card, checking-in and priority boarding. All of these come with the price of a ticket on BA.