Ryanair has welcomed the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) investigation into websites, eDreams and Opodo, which, it claims, is continuing to mislead consumers by advertising non-existent Ryanair fares via the eDreams and Opodo websites and Google paid search adverts.

The airline argues that the website eDreams has been allowed by Google to use the misleading subdomain “www.Ryanair.eDreams.com”, and a copycat website with identical Ryanair branding, in order to deceive consumers into visiting the eDreams website, and booking with eDreams at inflated fares. 

Ryanair launched High Court proceedings against both eDreams and Google last December, in an effort to stop them allegedly misleading consumers by advertising false Ryanair fares. 

The CAA is currently investigating the “website and pricing practices” of a number of websites “concerning price transparency” and said it would continue to monitor such websites “to ensure that consumers are not misled and have access to comparable information on prices”.

Ryanair’s Chief Marketing Officer, Kenny Jacobs said: “We are continuing to receive complaints from customers on a daily basis who have mistakenly booked with eDreams, as well as with Opodo, as both websites continue to engage in anti-consumer practices, and we welcome this CAA investigation into the pricing and practices of these screenscraper websites."

Source: www.businessworld.ie