Friday, May 31, 2024 Ryanair welcomed the AGCM’s decision to reject the precautionary proceedings requested by the Spanish OTA Pirata (eDreams), citing “no danger of serious and irreparable damage to competition.” This ruling follows the Milan Court of Appeal’s January 2024 decision that Ryanair’s direct sales policy is “economically justified,” leading to lower costs and fares, ultimately benefiting consumers. The AGCM decision underscores that pirate OTAs like eDreams cannot deceive competition authorities by charging excessive prices to Italian consumers through hidden markups on airfares, baggage, and seats.
Recently, Ryanair has signed “Approved OTA” agreements with several OTAs, including loveholidays, Kiwi, TUI, On the Beach, eSky, and El Corte Inglés. These OTAs have agreed to stop screenscraping the Ryanair website and overcharging consumers. These agreements showcase how OTAs can collaborate transparently with Ryanair, benefiting both Italian citizens and all EU consumers.
Ryanair appreciates this opportunity to demonstrate to the AGCM the pro-competition and pro-consumer nature of its “Approved OTA” agreements. These agreements ensure customers receive genuine Ryanair fares and services while Ryanair obtains accurate customer contact and payment details. This contrasts with the Pirate OTA model used by eDreams, which involves illegal screenscraping of the Ryanair website and inflating airline prices with hidden surcharges and invented commis.