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Original poster

BEWARE of this sneaky little trick on the Ryanair website

18 replies

juneau · 20/09/2017 16:22

I realised something today and I don't know if it's common knowledge. Ryanair quote flight prices in euros on their website, but when it comes to paying, if you have a UK credit/debit card, they switch the price you're about to be charged to pounds.

Now unless you've checked the €/£ exchange rate that day you might not realise what a massive gouge they're about to take out of your card, but today the difference the real exchange rate and their rate was £50! Yes, they were about to get £50 for free, and it's so easy to miss that little bit on the payment page. You have to click to open a little pop-up and un-check the box to say that you want to pay in euros. Nice little trick Ryanair. I wonder how many people don't even realise they've been ripped off!

OP posts:

RedastheRose · 20/09/2017 19:38

Wow what a rip off!

Kintan · 20/09/2017 20:43

I blame Brexit for the terrible exchange rate - else this wouldn't be seen as a problem. Ryan Air is an Irish company so normal to quote price in euros - just as a US company would quote in dollars.

noramum · 20/09/2017 22:10

Not unusual. If a company is in one country and you are in a different one currency wise it is standard procedure.

I booked last year a holiday in Spain, directly with the hotel.

I work for a German company and the server is at the parent company in Germany, if we do internet searches, everything comes up in German first. During a lunch break I was quoted a price in Euros, at home I did a new quote in Sterling to show DH. The difference was huge, far more than the normal exchange rate. When I changed the settings to Euro it still quoted me more than when the quote I had during the day at work.

Always check the settings.

chantico · 21/09/2017 07:08

Always pay in the local currency, as you'll always get a better rate from your bank, than from supplier or from foreign bank.

The money programmes tend to have pieces reminding you of this at peak holiday times, but it can be easy to overlook.

Especially if you don't think of online in this case as being easy access to an Irish company.

And at least they give you the choice - other foreign sites impose the use of the British site and thus their GBP price.

WhatHaveIFound · 21/09/2017 07:14

Are you sure it's not defaulting to Euro but you can change it to Sterling?

I frequently buy one way flights and when i'm buying from the UK to Europe it's in £ on the Ryanair website and when i'm making a Europe to UK booking it's in €.

And yes to always paying in the local currency.

SoupDragon · 21/09/2017 07:18

today the difference the real exchange rate and their rate was £50!

So they aren't using a correct exchange rate?

Does it make a difference if you click to view in £ then - are they using a different exchange rate there to the one used if it's changed on the payment page?

There's nothing wrong with showing the prices in € but it's sneaky if they're messing with exchange rates.

Farahilda · 21/09/2017 07:33

That's I suppose the snag, soupy.

There isn't a single 'real' exchange rate. You can look up the major bank rate (which of course can change rapidly) but individual banks and companies offer their own rates and always have.

You usually get better deals through the bigger banks, hence advice to pay in local currency and get the Visa rate at time transaction is processed (other forms of card payment are available)

SoupDragon · 21/09/2017 07:51

I misunderstood the OP slightly - the bit where she talks about unchecking a tick box. I read it as meaning they used two different rates but I have read it again :)

PoppyPopcorn · 21/09/2017 07:56

Now I'm not a fan of Ryanair but the OP is incorrect - if you go on the UK version of the Ryanair website, all prices quoted are in sterling.

If you're booking a flight on the Irish/French/Spanish site then of course it's in euros.

Trills · 21/09/2017 07:58

Ryanair show you the price of your flight in the currency of your departure country.

If you are booking a flight from France, or from Ireland, it shows in Euros.
If you are booking a flight from the UK, it shows in pounds.
If you are booking a flight from Norway it shows in krone.

ItsLikeRainOnYourWeddingDay · 21/09/2017 08:08

Are people still considering using Ryanair ???

PoppyPopcorn · 21/09/2017 08:13

Rain - they wouldn't be my first choice. I don't like the way they treat their customers like an inconvenience and herd you around like cattle. But the cancellation thing affects a very small number of flights and sometimes there is no choice on the route you're flying unless you want to travel considerable distance at either end.

ICanTuckMyBoobsInMyPockets · 21/09/2017 08:25

I've booked loads of flights and prices have always been displayed in ££?

The only time I've seen it in €€ is if your start point is in a country using that currency, which makes sense.

Original poster

juneau · 21/09/2017 08:47

No, I'm not incorrect, but I was booking single flights FROM Europe to the UK on a UK computer using a UK credit card, which probably explains why I got my quote in euros.

I'm not complaining about the pricing in euros though - what I'm complaining about is the absolute rip-off exchange rate Ryanair applies at the final moment of payment. It's in such small type that I almost missed it and because the final £ figure was pretty similar to the final € figure it was even easier to miss. I appreciate that any business will apply it's own exchange rate, but a spread of £50 between the quoted inter-bank offer rate and Ryanair strikes me as unduly favourable to the airline! Caveat emptor.

OP posts:

Original poster

juneau · 21/09/2017 08:51

Are people still considering using Ryanair ???

Not normally itslike! The only reason I've booked with them is because a) there are very few direct flights on that day between the places we need to fly, b) the other flights are at awful times (think 7am or 9pm departures and we have two young-ish DC). To my surprise (and not my delight), Ryanair were the only airline flying at a decent time.

OP posts:

Original poster

juneau · 21/09/2017 09:04

Sorry - not interbank offer rate - just yesterday's quoted euro/sterling exchange rate.

OP posts:

Margomyhero · 22/09/2017 22:36

I noticed this too.
Recently booked flights to and from Spain
I had to make two bookings though as wanted to return from a different airport - so that return flight was quoted in euros
Fortunately the price was low, so not a big whack - just a couple of pounds.

I am currently hating Ryanair anyway- with their new baggage policy.

Thanks for pointing this out though. It is useful.

Sounbelievablydull · 28/09/2017 09:34

I know it's routine to hate Ryanair but despite some of their tricks they have really opened up travel.
My family are Irish and pre Ryanair the choices were a very long expensive car and ferry journey or really expensive are lingus flights.
So when I hop on a plane to the west of Ireland I do give thanks to them for making such a difference.
Am shocked at the recent shenanigans though

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