MSE News: Ryanair 'sticks two fingers up at passengers' with new card fees

2sides2everystory

But malkie76, irrespective of your contention, it will take at least 3 days to get one of these cards, right?

So a Ryanair buying decision has to be made 3 days in advance at least, else you are saying everyone should get a Ryanair card and activate it before they start looking for flights?

By the time the card arrives the price might easily have gone up for your family of four who are merely booking their one return summer holiday flight? And meantime they have to worry about that? Do you think the average punter like that can possibly get their head around all this? I am as savvy as you and jayok, but it even took me 15 minutes tonight to book a ryanair flight and load my Neteller card, since Neteller had changed their security recently and it baffled me taking no less than about 6 tries to get into Neteller. Then tonight I noticed Ryanair have stuck two fngers up to OFT again on their https://www.ryanair.com/en site and had reverted to that unlawful week-at-a-view less than full price ribbon e.g. "Wed XX-Sep from £19.99" (when the actual price was £27.99 plus card fees potentially).

Finally the Ryanair website took my payment but instead of saying so it fell over with a "Session Locked" message. I know what to do at that point but a large proportion of customers would be worried about it. Am I booked or not? Have I paid or not?

Normal Ryanair summer holiday customers don't stand a chance with such nonsense. They will constantly be worried by it all and default to their normal cards at the slightest hint of weird and wonderful payment card difficulties.

I am sorry, but causing prospective customers to make decisons like that is plainly an unfair commercial practice.

I shall be very interested to catch up with what Martin said on Watchdog once it is on iPlayer.

Edit: I see now that the unlawful week-at-a-view ribbon has disappeared again - probably part and parcel of that website problem that caused the Session Locked error ... what a sorry mess it is due only to Ryanair obstinacy and two fingers permanently up at so many government authorities in Europe now.

jonmimir

How often do you go to the pub, pay £3 for a beer like it says on the blackboard outside the bar, but then get told by the barman who serves it to you it will be £16 because of the £3 pouring fee, the £3 glass hire fee, £6 to pay using a debit card and £1 for a non-optional beermat. Would you like a scratch card with that sir?

Marksfish wrote: »

I get fed up with the Ryanair bashing. If you don't like them, don't use them. How often do you go into the pub, pay your beer money and get champagne???

jayok

2sides2everystory

I am thinking of going to Reus from Prestwick next summer. The hotel I am interested in is currently £1,000 for a week for a family of 4 for the week I want to go. Ryanair schedules are not yet out and there is uncertainty over which days they will fly and what the price will end up at for the flights.

Do I

1. Book the hotel and hope that I can get the flights to align and be a good price?
2. Wait until the Ryanair schedules are out and book the flights then book the hotel? What if the hotel rooms go up in price or are not available?
3. Book a Thomson package holiday half board at the same hotel flying from Manchester for £1,600?

Decisions decisions. This just shows that people need to make their own choices. some of those choices will be good value, some will be average value and some will be poor value. If the family of 4 in your example had no intention of booking Ryanair, they would have to pay the £48 fee for the convenience of booking at that time. If they waited and got the card, they could avoid the fee and there is a risk that the flight could go up or down in price. If they knew they were flying Ryanair for their summer holiday in advance, there is no reason why they should not get the card and avoid the £48 fee. Of course, they may decide that they would rather pay the £48 fee than get a card.

jayok

jonmimir wrote: »

How often do you go to the pub, pay £3 for a beer like it says on the blackboard outside the bar, but then get told by the barman who serves it to you it will be £16 because of the £3 pouring fee, the £3 glass hire fee, £6 to pay using a debit card and £1 for a non-optional beermat. Would you like a scratch card with that sir?

How Do I Avoid Paying Optional Fees?

fantafan

Well, since having a baby I won't be using them.

I have to pay £20 each way for him to sit on my knee whilst I can buy a seat for £8 or similar. That's ageist.

2sides2everystory

jayok wrote: »

Decisions decisions. This just shows that people need to make their own choices.

Yes, and they do not need their buying decisions adversely affected by unfair commercial practices.

some of those choices will be good value, some will be average value and some will be poor value.

Yes and if the poor value arises out a buying decision being adversely affected by unfair commercial practices then a law has been broken.

If the family of 4 in your example had no intention of booking Ryanair, they would have to pay the £48 fee for the convenience of booking at that time. If they waited and got the card, they could avoid the fee and there is a risk that the flight could go up or down in price. If they knew they were flying Ryanair for their summer holiday in advance, there is no reason why they should not get the card and avoid the £48 fee. Of course, they may decide that they would rather pay the £48 fee than get a card.

Just analyse that paragraph of yours right there. Put yourself in the position of the leader of that family of four and takeaway your knowledge of how this all works. Your paragraph is gobbledegook. What card? Why? I've got a card. My card? A fee? Why? European law says I should be able to pay without a fee. I can? How? A voucher? A what? Why? How? Who is this nefarious Access outfit? Why should I have anything to do with them? Have they any track record? How are they regulated? Why on earth am I being skewed to even think about another card, vouchers and another nefarious pseudo
bank? What right has Ryanair to influence my buying decision in this totally ridiculous way? None? So why the bloody hell are they getting away with it? Because they've stuck two fingers up at the law is it? Well here's mine :rotfl:

But of course the bullies at Ryanair know that the UK is full of Neanderthals who will condone any kind of hysterical behaviour once enough people start doing it.

Are they worthwhile citizens anymore? Not really, are they?

LaughinginLancingTeddy

It seems to me that, like the banking fees, this issue needs to be considered by the GOvernment - as suggested in your article. I know that Ryan air was the focus of your article, but there are many websites who apply extra charges for paying by card, even though there is no alternative. WOuld it be possible to set up a petition on the No 10 website to get fees for using credit cards examined? There is a commitment that any petition which receives more than 100,000 signatures will be taken further and I'm sure if all your subscribers signed it would be close to that number if not over.

jayok

2sides2everystory wrote: »

Put yourself in the position of the leader of that family of four and takeaway your knowledge of how this all works. Your paragraph is gobbledegook. What card? Why? I've got a card. My card? A fee? Why? European law says I should be able to pay without a fee. I can? How? A voucher? A what? Why? How? Who is this nefarious Access outfit? Why should I have anything to do with them? Have they any track record? How are they regulated? Why on earth am I being skewed to even think about another card, vouchers and another nefarious pseudo
bank?

Come on, you want us to take a scenario that the leader of the family knows nothing about Ryanair payment fee and yet purports to know about European law. The leader of the family is not very good at researching his options for flights then. If it is illegal I am sure a case will be brought. In the meantime, there is a way not to pay the fee and that workaround is open to everyone.

malkie76

Edit: What I should be saying is that it is the same for airlines as it is for motorway drivers

Except it isn't. It's a fact that you are more likely to die in a car accident than in an airline crash. I think you are also more likely to die from being crushed by a donkey than you are a airline crash.

But malkie76, irrespective of your contention, it will take at least 3 days to get one of these cards, right?

According to WD last night you can get instant acceptance online for their new card.

Why should I have anything to do with them?

Your imaginary family doesn't have to have anything to do with them. No-one *has* to fly RyanAir - the consumer has a choice.

RyanAir is never the only option.

chrisboote

KTM_Gordo wrote: »

Everyone moans about Ryanair, but people still fly with them. People like 'cheap' - they're obsessed with low price.

But they're NOT cheap!
Once you add on all the fees, especially if you're a family taking luggage, they are usually the same price as BA - and on BA you get the surety of another flight if something goes wrong, plus free drink & snacks