ASA grounds ‘misleading’ Ryanair and LastMinute.com ads
Ryanair and LastMinute.com have encountered some turbulence courtesy of the Advertising Standards Authority after the publication of ‘misleading’ adverts citing promotional prices that were not available.
The low-cost carrier was subject to a single complaint after it broadcast a television advert on 5 October with on-screen text reading ‘Fly from £19.99. Fares one way. Book by 10/11/16. Travel by 25/03/17.’ The advert then concluded by displaying the message ‘Summer 2017 on sale now’.
One frustrated holidaymaker complained that this promotion gave them cause to believe the promotional offer would be applied to flights booked for summer 2017 when this was not the case, with Ryanair attesting that the promotion was valid only for travel until 25 March 2017 as stated.
In its adjudication however the ASA said that this qualification was ‘…not sufficiently prominent to correct the overall impression that summer 2017 flights were included in the sale. We therefore concluded that the ad was misleading.’
Separately LastMinute.com was judged to have misled after its advertised price of £569 per head package for a flight to New York and accommodation on 15 September 2016 had already expired when promoted, landing one customer with an additional bill for £70.77.
It's not the first time the provider has found itself in hot water over expired promotional deals after publishing similar misleading claims last year.