eDreams Tops Ryanair's OTA Pirate Survey with Exorbitant Overcharges

Ryanair's latest OTA Pirate survey highlights eDreams' 135% overcharge on reserved seats, spotlighting ongoing issues with OTA overcharges and consumer protection demands.

Ryanair's March OTA Pirate Survey Accuses eDreams of Excessive Overcharging

Ryanair has once again spotlighted the issue of overcharging by Online Travel Agencies (OTAs), naming eDreams the top "OTA Pirate" for March due to its excessive markup of 135% (€23.50) on reserved seats that cost just €10 on Ryanair.com. This marks eDreams' second recognition for overcharging in Ryanair's surveys, following a previous indictment for a 125% overcharge on a reserved seat.

The airline continues to advocate for consumer protection against OTA scams, urging the UK and Spanish governments, along with EU consumer agencies, to take decisive action against such deceptive practices. According to Ryanair, eDreams is not the only offender, with Opodo and Gotogate.com also engaging in significant overcharges and misleading fees.

Ryanair's Dara Brady expressed frustration over the lack of governmental and regulatory action to curb OTA overcharges and scams, emphasizing the airline's commitment to campaigning against these practices. Brady highlighted not just eDreams' overcharges but also Opodo's 129% markup on baggage fees and Gotogate.com's fraudulent "refund" fees, calling for an end to these anti-consumer schemes.

Ryanair's consistent efforts to expose and campaign against OTA malpractices underscore the airline's call for increased consumer protection and regulation to prevent overcharging and invented charges in the travel industry.