Ryanair Card Fees
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Ryanair Card Fees
I just tried to book a flight with Ryanair and the card 'fee' has increased from £2 to £8. That's some increase! 
Hopefully my Electron account application is accepted through the Halifax. Maybe I ought to try the Abbey as well?
Hopefully my Electron account application is accepted through the Halifax. Maybe I ought to try the Abbey as well?
As I understand it the EU requirement is that all non-optional add-ons have to be included in the basic fare price first quoted. As transactions on websites necessarily require a card, fees for these needed to be rolled up into the standard price.
Ryanair went for the card with the least penetration, Electron, and allowed bookings using that without an extra fee. That allows them to say the fees on all other mainstream cards are "optional", and thus they have circumvened the regulation.
Presumably in a few months when their Electron bookings rise they will change to another obscure card provider for their no-charge option.
Ryanair went for the card with the least penetration, Electron, and allowed bookings using that without an extra fee. That allows them to say the fees on all other mainstream cards are "optional", and thus they have circumvened the regulation.
Presumably in a few months when their Electron bookings rise they will change to another obscure card provider for their no-charge option.
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Debit Card Fee - Per passenger/ Per One Way Flight£4
Ryanair.com - FAQS : Table of Fees (English)
...how on Earth are they going to justify that hike?
Answer: I suppose they just don't give a toss.
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£8 certainly looks very steep when compared to easyJet's charge of £1.75 for a debit card transaction.
Also, worth a read... Ryanair - beware purchase card fees are being inaccurately shown - MoneySavingExpert.com Forums
Also, worth a read... Ryanair - beware purchase card fees are being inaccurately shown - MoneySavingExpert.com Forums
Last edited by ESCNI; 16th Jul 2008 at 23:15.
Paxing All Over The World
... how on Earth are they going to justify that hike?
If, when you have reached the last click - before paying any money - and the total payable is not what you want to pay, then don't click. I know how easy it is to get sucked in by the Come On headline prices and then shrug when the bottom line comes up.
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£8
certainly looks very steep when compared to easyJet's charge of £1.75 for a debit card transaction.
I think people ought to think less about how much each component costs and more about how much the total to-pay amount is, and whether the total to-pay amount represents sufficiently good value-for-money particularly in comparison, when all things are considered, with the alternatives. For example, FR presently have a £1/€1 tax-inclusive one-way deal from the UK to Ireland and vice-versa. Add £8/€10 to card fee and that's £9/€12. Obviously still absurdly cheap. What if I wanted to fly London-Rome-London = out on the 17th Sept, back 18th? £40 return including taxes, £8 card fee and £24 for luggage. In my view £72 still repesents decent value-for-money. Of course, what's value-for-money is subjective and must be considered in relation to the realistic alternatives, convenience, what you get for your money, and so forth.
Shop with your eyes wide open. Don't accept what you don't like. Be smart shoppers.
Last edited by JulietNovemberPapa; 17th Jul 2008 at 13:06.
Just another seat number
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Just for an illustration as to the extent of the rip-off, my small business card fees are ca. 30p for a debit card and just less than 2% for a credit card, ca. 2.5% for Amex.
A larger business, such as an airline, would be able to negotiate much better rates.
Time for some legislation to prevent loadings by people who accept cards?
A larger business, such as an airline, would be able to negotiate much better rates.
Time for some legislation to prevent loadings by people who accept cards?
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It's obvious why FR charge such card fees: it does, of course, generate massive ancillary revenue. Such revenue is becoming ever more important, and not just for discount airlines. Anyway, FR has now carried over 54m passengers year-to-date; if it charged £4 per person per sector for each of those (ignoring the almost certainly minute number who book using Electron), that'd have been £216m. Assuming it continues with its £4 ppps charge, it'll generate £240m when it reaches 60m. FR has hitherto said it'd increase its passenger numbers to 85m by 2012. If that's achieved and if it still charges £4 ppps, that'd generate £340m. Lots of ifs there, but you get the point.
FR's number-one ancillary stream is almost certainly checked baggage. I believe around 55% of FR's passengers take checked luggage. The minimum cost of one bag per one-way is £12 including the obligatory airport check-in charge. Thus, the minimum FR's likely to generate from checked baggage is around £356m. In reality some people take more than one bag, so the real figure must be higher.
FR's number-one ancillary stream is almost certainly checked baggage. I believe around 55% of FR's passengers take checked luggage. The minimum cost of one bag per one-way is £12 including the obligatory airport check-in charge. Thus, the minimum FR's likely to generate from checked baggage is around £356m. In reality some people take more than one bag, so the real figure must be higher.
Too mean to buy a long personal title
I think people ought to think less about how much each component costs and more about how much the total to-pay amount is, and whether the total to-pay amount represents sufficiently good value-for-money particularly in comparison, when all things are considered, with the alternatives.
And if people were so sensible about their shopping (including air fare shopping), how could RYR survive?
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JulietNovemberPapa,
Interesting points although you're wrong in one respect. The easyJet credit card surcharge is 2.5% with a minimum of £4.95. You're right, though, that because one can add flights to a "basket", the charge is only levied on the total and not per sector/return flight. I posted recently that this "basket" facility can be useful when, say, booking a whole season's travel when the seats are released for sale, as easyJet's were recently. Just consider the difference between booking (at one time) five return flights at, say, £70 each with Ryanair and easyJet: £40 (Ryanair) or £8.75 (easyJet) in credit card fees. It's not, sadly, as simple as this: in my experience Ryanair still works out generally, but not always, cheaper overall.
Interesting points although you're wrong in one respect. The easyJet credit card surcharge is 2.5% with a minimum of £4.95. You're right, though, that because one can add flights to a "basket", the charge is only levied on the total and not per sector/return flight. I posted recently that this "basket" facility can be useful when, say, booking a whole season's travel when the seats are released for sale, as easyJet's were recently. Just consider the difference between booking (at one time) five return flights at, say, £70 each with Ryanair and easyJet: £40 (Ryanair) or £8.75 (easyJet) in credit card fees. It's not, sadly, as simple as this: in my experience Ryanair still works out generally, but not always, cheaper overall.
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avoid the charges alltogether...just don't book with ryanair.the public have massive buying power,just fly with other carriers until their charges fall in line.it's a freemarket,spend your hard earned cash wisely.
