Ryanair has failed to meet a deadline set by the UK consumer watchdog for changing its website to include all fixed, non-optional costs in ticket prices.
The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) yesterday said it was very disappointed the airline had not met an agreed date of January 31st for changing its website. The OFT has given Ryanair another fortnight to include taxes and charges in ticket prices in all parts of its website.
The OFT, with consumer authorities in Ireland and the European Commission, has been campaigning for some time against misleading airline ticket prices that do not include taxes and charges.
Last February, it warned airlines and other travel companies it would crack down. In August, it announced it had successfully taken action against 13 airlines that failed to show tax and charge-inclusive ticket prices.
Eleven airlines changed their websites to meet the demands of the OFT but Aer Lingus and Ryanair changed their home pages only and said technical issues prevented them from changing their entire website booking processes immediately.
Tour operators in Britain complained this gave both airlines a competitive advantage.
The two airlines were given another six months to conform. A spokeswoman for Aer Lingus said the changes were made in all parts of its website at the end of September.
Ryanair has not made the changes, although the booking page states the prices quoted do not include taxes and charges.
Ryanair said it expected its booking process would be fully tax-inclusive once it introduced new software on February 19th.
A spokesman said the OFT already accepted that no passenger could make a booking without first being aware of and confirming the inclusive amount to be paid.
Also in the UK, the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) yesterday confirmed a Ryanair advertisement showing what appeared to be a skimpily clad schoolgirl in a classroom and promising "hottest back to school fares" had been withdrawn after it was found to be irresponsible and offensive.
The airline had said it would not be withdrawing the advert, which drew complaints from 13 newspaper readers, but an ASA spokesman said the newspapers involved had withdrawn it as part of a system of self-regulation governing British advertising.
In France, Ryanair told a court hearing yesterday it was willing to make €5,000 in charitable donations for both President Nicolas Sarkozy and his friend Carla Bruni over an advertisement featuring her daydreaming about a wedding.
A lawyer for the airline said it was happy to settle Mr Sarkozy's claim for a symbolic €1 damages, but he rejected former supermodel Ms Bruni's claim for damages of €500,000. A judgment in is expected on Tuesday.
