The Italian Federation of Travel and Tourism Associations (FIAVET) has launched legal action against Ryanair over its intermediary sales policies, arguing they make it extremely difficult for travel agents to sell the airline's tickets.

Ryanair to face Italian lawsuit

As first reported by ch-aviation, FIAVET said its council had unanimously agreed to proceed with legal action following years of problems with Ryanair's ticketing policies. The case will center on Ryanair's passenger verification system for intermediary sellers - the requirement, for fares purchased through travel agencies only, requires facial recognition and a copy of the passenger's identity document.

Ryanair Boeing 737
Photo: Tom Boon.

Giuseppe Ciminnisi, President of FIAVET, commented,

"We have been dealing with this thorny issue for years. In the past, we have challenged, with various warnings to Ryanair, incorrect behavior towards travel agents."

The group also argues that Ryanair unfairly acquires passenger information by encouraging them to book through its website directly, giving it an advantage when selling ancillary products like car hire. FIAVET has previously launched legal action against Ryanair in 2011 and was granted compensation, with Ciminnisi adding that "now, we are once again forced to deliberate a judicial action to defend the sacrosanct right to be able to purchase Ryanair tickets."

What exactly is the problem?

FIAVET has suggested that making travel agents go through more stringent identification checks is a ploy from Ryanair to limit third-party sales. While Ryanair has a list of authorized and unauthorized agents, FIAVET claims its system is a major hurdle even for authorized groups.

737 ryanair tail
Photo: Ryanair

A "quick" check comes at a surcharge of €0.59 ($0.66), while the "standard" check can take up to seven days to process. This has become a particular problem for tour groups and educational bookings, as the verification process for these large groups is cumbersome for both passengers and agents.

FIAVET said,

"The problems of subjecting the passenger to facial recognition (think of the tickets purchased for groups such as for educational trips) become an obstacle to the possibility of purchasing for the agency."

The group added that Ryanair must recognize travel agencies operate as agents for the passenger, not the airline. The Irish low-cost carrier is the biggest airline in Italy, operating with around a 40% market share.

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Ryanair has a long and chequered history of opposing fare resellers, even going so far as to block bookings acquired through third parties. The LCC recently lost an appeal in a Swiss court involving a case from LastMinute.com, an online travel agency that had been locked in a 15-year legal battle with Ryanair.

A Ryanair Boeing 737 MAX 8-200 taxiing.
Photo: kamilpetran I Shutterstock

Switzerland's Supreme Court ruled in favor of the online agency, but Ryanair claims its decision will have "no practical impact" and its direct distribution model will continue.

What is your position on Ryanair's opposition to third-party fare sellers? Do you think the airline has a legal basis to oppose them? Let us know in the comment section.

Source: ch-aviation.com

  • Ryanair Boeing 737
    Ryanair
    IATA/ICAO Code:
    FR/RYR
    Airline Type:
    Low-Cost Carrier
    Hub(s):
    Dublin Airport, London Stansted Airport, Milan Bergamo Airport
    Year Founded:
    1985
    Airline Group:
    Ryanair Group
    CEO:
    Eddie Wilson
    Country:
    Ireland