Ryanair to charge price comparison websites

Ryanair today announced that it will allow “price comparison only” websites to access its timetable and pricing information in order to compare Ryanair’s guaranteed lowest fares with those of high fares, fuel surcharging, competitor airlines.

Ryanair will introduce a licence agreement where, for a small annual charitable donation of €100, price comparison only websites, which provide fare comparison and seat availability information to consumers will be authorised to access Ryanair’s website at ryanair.com.

Ryanair will continue to ban reselling screenscraper websites.

Ryanair celebrated the return of its guaranteed lowest fares onto price comparison only websites by releasing 1 million €5 seats for travel across its European network in late May and June. These low fares are now available for booking exclusively on ryanair.com until midnight Thursday.

Ryanair’s Michael O’Leary said:

“Only Ryanair offers passengers the guaranteed lowest fares, which are only available at ryanair.com. Our new licence agreements will now allow our fares to be listed on “price comparison only” websites which will prove to more and more consumers that Ryanair’s guaranteed lowest fares can not be beaten. All licence fees will be donated by Ryanair to the charity nominated annually by our staff.

“Ryanair will continue to fight against “ticket-tout” screenscrapers which are reselling Ryanair seats without authorisation and are ripping off consumers with inflated fares and fictitious fuel surcharges.

“Consumers who use price comparison websites should only do so to compare fares but should always go to ryanair.com to book Europe’s guaranteed lowest fares”.