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It gives only individual observations and experiences relating to Ryanair, which may be of interest to others.
Ryanair and similar companies which concentrate on booking via the Internet have made air travel across Europe available to many people who could not previously have afforded it.
But there is an element of Russian Roulette. There is a good chance that you will get very cheaply to where you want to go with no problems. But a proportion of passengers can find themselves in a situation where they are left helpless and/or have to pay a lot of money. Ryanair is often solely in control of the factors that can create such a situation.
Advertising Standards Authority Refers Ryanair to Office of Fair Trading
The ASA has taken this very rare step in April 2008 after giving Ryanair every opportunity to put its house in order with regard to repeated breaches of the Code of Advertising Practice, which aims to protect consumers and promote fair competition. See our Press Stories page for reports describing some of the complaints which have led to this. Bizarrely, Ryanair tried to preempt this by complaining to the OFT about the ASA.
Phones Cutting off and Web Bookings Failing
We've had a flood of messages during March 2008 complaining that it's impossible to get through to the Ryanair telephone number, calls simply being cut off, and also complaining that Web transactions have failed, leaving them unsure of whether their credit/debit cards have been deducted, hence more than usual need to contact Ryanair by Telephone. Some potential passengers have been desperate to know whether their transactions have gone through, and have spent hours trying to find out via the telephone number.
At least, if the calls are cut off, they are not being charged to wait in a queue.
Ryanair Booking Site Closes Down for a Weekend
Ryanair's online booking system was so non-compliant with Office of Fair Trading regulations, on displaying fixed costs in its advertised prices, that it had to close down for a weekend in February 2008 for changes to be made. The deadline for compliance was 31 January 2008. Latest reports suggest that the site is still not compliant. See our Press Stories page. See also an independent review of the new site at gospain.about.com/od/ryanair/qt/new_ryanair.htm.
Ryanair Forced to Make Two Payouts
Ryanair has been forced to make two payouts in quick succession, for using images of the French President and his wife without permission, and for throwing the only black passengers off a plane when other passengers didn't want to sit with them. See our Press Stories page (references to Sarkozy and to the Steel Band).
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