Aviation news international – The battle between Ryanair (FR, Dublin International) and online travel agencies (OTAs) continues without pause. While the low-cost carrier has enjoyed a legal win in Italy against Kiwi.com, another front is opening in the United Kingdom, with a group of OTAs complaining to government regulators about the airline.
This week, the Civil Court of Milan dismissed an injunction application by OTA Kiwi.com to remove Ryanair’s check-in procedures for passengers who used OTAs to make bookings. “We welcome this Court ruling,” said Ryanair’s Dara Brady. “Ryanair does not have a commercial relationship with Kiwi, and we strongly object to Kiwi selling our flights.”
The low-cost carrier applies so-called “enhanced check-in procedures” for passengers who book flights from any fare reseller, whether authorised or unauthorised. It requires passengers to submit significant amounts of personal information, including providing images for facial verification, to manage a booking or check-in online.
OTAs argue that the data collection is unnecessary and its real aim is to send prospective passengers to Ryanair’s own booking portal. Last week, as reported in the Irish Times, several OTAs, including Booking.com, Expedia, and Skyscanner, wrote to the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority and Information Commissioner’s Office, calling on both bodies to investigate the airline.
“Ryanair may be breaching UK data protection rules which require data collection to be necessary and kept to a minimum, which is clearly not the case with these additional checks,” their letter read.
Ryanair says its business model depends on passengers using its own booking portal and alleges many OTAs “mis-sell” their fares. They say the data collection is necessary for them to contact passengers directly if an issue arises with their flight.
The airline also promptly responded to the OTAs’ call for an investigation, saying OTAs that scrapped fare data for resale amounted to nothing more than “internet pirates.” In a statement issued on August 11, Ryanair said its data collection policy, in addition to smoothing out communication procedures with passengers, also ensures the airline complies with its legal obligations.
“Unsuspecting consumers are being duped and/or overcharged by this group of OTAs who unlawfully scrape Ryanair’s website (a clear example of “internet piracy”), who then use this unlawfully obtained data to mislead consumers and mis-sell our flights with significant mark-ups,” Ryanair’s statement said. “Among the members of this “Pirates of the European” association are OTAs who knowingly overcharge consumers for Ryanair fares and/or ancillary services such as bag check-in, seat allocation, flight changes, etc.”
Ryanair says it has repeatedly called on the Competition and Markets Authority and the Civil Aviation Authority to take action against the OTAs. “We are amazed that the UK Consumer Agencies and the UK Govt have failed to take any action against this rampant internet piracy and this overcharging of unsuspecting consumers for airfares or ancillary services,” said Group CEO Michael O’Leary while again reiterating his airline’s call for an investigation.
source: https://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/news/130934-claims-and-counterclaims-in-ryanairs-battle-with-otas
