OFT 'Wrong' Over Ryanair Criticism

Irish budget airline Ryanair has attacked a British fair trading watchdog which said that its payment policy was "puerile and childish".

In an interview published in an Irish newspaper today, Office of Fair Trading (OFT) Chief Executive John Fingleton censored the company over a number of issues including the fees it adds when customers use all but one type of credit card to pay online.

However, Ryanair - which flies from both City of Derry and Belfast's George Best City Airport - responded this morning to the accusations saying Mr Fingleton's comments were "disappointing and wrong".

"Ryanair fails to understand why it was singled out for these inaccurate criticisms by Mr Fingleton, when its charges policies are copied by high fare UK airlines. Perhaps Mr Fingleton's comments are designed to cover over the OFT's failure to take any action against BA's unfair fuel surcharges, the BAA's monopoly pricing or the continuing mis-selling by screenscraper websites across the UK and Europe, who routinely add hidden mark-ups to Ryanair’s low fares," said company spokesman Stephen McNamara.

Mr Fingleton said Ryanair was using a rare payment method to get around the rules, and said the company's actions were "almost childish."

There is little love lost between the two organisations with previous clashes centring on the clarity and transparency of the Ryanair website.

The OFT previously entered into discussions with Ryanair after the Advertising Standards Authority referred the airline to it last year.

In today's revelatory interview their latest spat has taken a more personal tone, with Mr Fingleton claiming the Budget airline was "taunting" its consumers and playing a "funny game".

This morning's response by Ryanair has maintained there were no hidden fees or charges on the Ryanair.com website, that all non discretionary fees and charges are included in all Ryanair's advertised prices, that payment handling fees were "discretionary" and are free for passengers using Ryanair's recommended Mastercard debit cards, and that Ryanair's insurance services were purchased by customers on an opt in, not an opt out basis, "as wrongly claimed by Mr Fingleton".

(DW/GK)