MSE News: Ryanair to charge for Visa Electron bookings

Something to bring up in the weekly email?

Basically, we're all going to have to get a Mastercard Prepaid card to purchase flights instead of electron!

Basically there is an article on Marketing Magazine that I am not allowed to link to as a new user.

There was a very shifty Ryanair spokesman on Moneybox last Saturday who claimed first of all that Ryanair had a promotional deal with Visa on Electron, then when told Visa UK denied it switched tack to Visa Europe. Moneybox then stated that Visa Europe knew nothing of it either.

Given the charges some of those prepaid cards make it's going to be cheaper to pay Ryanair's normal fees if you only do the odd trip. Maybe that's the idea. The only reason they have a fee free route is so that their adverts can show lower fares. Push a few more people into paying 'normally' and they get more revenue but can still advertise the same 'from' fares.

Oh pants, my new Electron card has just come through!

The Mastercard prepaid cards vary in value according to how much you'll be using it. Not really good value for those that might only travel once a year, but we will still be able to make savings by this method (we have a pool card - booking at least 60 flights a year).

lufcgirl wrote: »

So how do I get hold of a Mastercard accepted by Ryanair?

Edit: Not seen any official announcement on the Ryanair website, so is this actually confirmed by them yet?

Yes

http://www.ryanair.com/en/news/gen-en-301109

Most irritating for those of us that got Electron cards just for Ryanair. I wonder if the other airlines that don't charge for Electron will follow Ryanair's lead... not that it bothers me hugely as the only other budget airline I use is Easyjet, whose debit card charges aren't that much anyway.

http://www.moneysupermarket.com/prepaidcards/?feature=PrePaid&cardtype=CreditCard&p=0&ef_id=1816:3:s_34b646fa863754f4e4f97c288b89d2fd_2810212668:SxO1dUNIYWQAABkwUv8AAAQA:20091130120717

Looks pretty official to me, I think that O'Leary is thinking what type of spin to put on it on the news item. It'll be probably something along the lines of 'committed to continually delivering low fares for customers'.