Ryanair has fallen foul of the Advertising Standards Authority, again, after the watchdog ruled that a press ad headed: “MALMÖ WITH RYANAIR from £14.99 one way” was misleading.
One complainant pointed out that in order to receive this price a customer would have to pay with a Ryanair payment card, which must be bought, as regular debit and credit cards carry a surcharge.
Defending the statement Ryanair said that a footnote pointing out that ’Fares exclude optional fees/charges’ made this clear. They also added that the £6 cost of a Ryanair card was redeemable against the cost of the first flight booked using the card – as long as it was used within six months.
Dismissing this defence however the ASA noted that consumers not in possession of a Cash Passport at the point of purchase could not immediately purchase tickets for the advertised price as they had to first apply for the card and await delivery.
The ASA also observed that card owners were required to load their card with a minimum of £150 and additional charges were applicable on its use.
In conclusion it was deemed that the ad was in breach of the code and must not be shown again in its current form.
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