(qlmbusinessnews.com Thurs, 4th Jan, 2024) London, UK —
“Ryanair Clashes with Online Travel Giants: Unprecedented Flight Removals Spark Fare Wars”
In a heated response, Ryanair has criticised several online travel agents, including Booking.com, Kiwi, and Kayak, for abruptly removing its flights from their platforms in December. This move follows an Irish High Court ruling that prohibited screenscraper Flightbox from gathering Ryanair flight information for online travel agents, triggering a potential increase in empty seats by 1% to 2% during December and January.
Impact on Revenues and Passenger Numbers:
While acknowledging potential impacts on ticket revenues, Ryanair assures that the removals are unlikely to significantly affect its full-year passenger numbers or profit expectations. In response, the no-frills airline plans to lower fares for passengers booking directly through its official website.
Labelling Online Agents as “Pirates”:
In a strongly-worded statement, Ryanair has referred to the online agents as “pirates.” The airline pledges to continue making fares available to “honest and transparent” online travel agents like Google Flights, highlighting those that do not add hidden mark-ups to prices and direct passengers to make bookings directly on the Ryanair.com website.
Possible Reasons for Removal:
Ryanair speculates that the removal of its flights could be a response to pressure from national consumer protection agencies or new customer verification measures implemented by the airline. The ongoing legal dispute with online booking sites, particularly its legal action in the US against Booking.com owner Booking Holdings and its subsidiaries, may have contributed to the unilateral flight removals.
Legal Background:
The recent Irish High Court ruling granted Ryanair a permanent injunction against screenscraper Flightbox, preventing the unauthorized collection of information from Ryanair.com for online travel agents. Booking Holdings, operating Booking.com and Kayak, has refrained from commenting on the ongoing legal proceedings between Booking.com and Ryanair in the United States.
Profits Surge Amidst Controversy:
This dispute follows a surge in profits for Ryanair in November, following a strategic increase in prices. Despite the average number of empty seats per flight rising from 8% to 9% in December, the airline reported a 9% growth in passenger numbers, reaching 12.5 million, despite over 900 flights being cancelled due to the conflict in Gaza.
Stay tuned for further developments as Ryanair navigates through this contentious situation in the online travel landscape.
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