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A new report by low-cost airline Ryanair gives travellers an insight into how they can avoid paying markup flight prices.
The budget carrier released its online travel agency (OTA) survey this week, calling out firms such as eDreams, Tix, and Vola for inflating costs by up to 176 per cent for products such as reserving a seat or adding extra baggage.
Ryanair is demanding EU governments act quickly to protect “unsuspecting” tourists from being overcharged.
How much do OTAs overcharge?
A sample of Ryanair’s survey found eDreams to be the “worst offender”, selling a reserved seat for €15.67 instead of Ryanair’s price of €5.67. This works out at a 176 per cent markup.
The firm also charged €27.07 for adding a 10kg bag to a booking, a 108 per cent increase from Ryanair’s €12.99 price.
Tix was discovered to be selling reserved seats for €17.50, and 20kg bags for €45.59 – a 67 and 40 per cent surcharge, respectively.
Vola charged €25 for both priority boarding and a 10kg bag, opposed to Ryanair’s price of €17 and €16.99, which equates to a 47 per cent overcharge.
‘Consumer harm’
“Despite this evidence of consumer harm, many EU governments and Consumer Protection Authorities, most notably Spain’s useless Consumer Minister Bustinduy, do nothing to prevent this harm to thousands of Spanish consumers as a result of this overcharging,” says Ryanair’s Dara Brady.
“EU Govts and Consumer Protection Authorities, including Spain’s useless Consumer Minister, have taken zero action to prevent this overcharging, which continues to harm consumers across Spain and the EU.”
Brady went on to call on EU governments and consumer protection agencies to “take action” and address the OTA overcharges, arguing they impose “avoidable additional costs for consumers across Europe”, particularly in Spain.
How to get the best deal on your flights
OTAs often sell airfares cheaper than the airline directly, enticing those travelling on a budget.
However, research has found that once you pay for hold luggage and a seat, you may end up paying more.
A 2023 analysis by consumer brand Which?, which carried out 28 price spot checks with four different airlines and four OTAs, found booking through the latter can be more than €115 expensive than going direct.
Many airlines have information on their website detailing their approved aggregator and GDS partners, to make sure you don’t end up paying an up-charge.
For example, easyJet flights can be booked through partners including Duffel, Amadeus, Travelport, Peakwork, and Kyte – while WizzAir recently partnered with Travlefusion to “enhance accessibility and affordability” of its European flights.
To get the best deal, it is worth pricing up the total fare – including any add-ons you may require – before making a payment.