Ryanair Calls For Eu Crackdown On Edreams Following €9 Million Italian Fine

Published on February 6, 2026

In nan fast-paced world of integer travel, nan statement betwixt a “great deal” and a “hidden fee” is often thinner than a boarding pass. This week, that statement became a cardinal battlefield arsenic Ryanair, Europe’s largest low-cost carrier, called upon European Union regulators to return a “stronger stance” against nan online recreation agency (OTA) eDreams.

The spark for this latest escalation? A €9 cardinal fine was handed down by Italy’s Competition Authority (AGCM) against eDreams for what nan regulator described arsenic “clearly deceptive” and “unquestionably manipulative” practices related to its Prime subscription service.

The “Prime” Problem: What nan Investigation Found

For galore travelers, eDreams Prime promises a world of discounts connected flights and hotels for an yearly fee. However, nan Italian antitrust investigation painted a acold little rosy picture. The AGCM identified respective “dark patterns”—digital creation tricks intended to steer users into decisions they mightiness not different make.

According to nan regulator, eDreams:

• Misrepresented Discounts: In galore cases, “Prime” prices were really higher than those shown to non-subscribers.
• Hidden Fees: Intermediary fees were often disguised wrong nan full formation value alternatively than being transparently disclosed.
• Forced Subscriptions: Users were often funneled into nan astir costly subscription tier (Prime Plus) by default aliases were charged for “free trials” without capable warning.
• Retention Roadblocks: The authority besides slammed eDreams for making it astir intolerable for users to retreat from nan program, utilizing “aggressive” customer work strategies to support them paying.

The full good was divided into 2 parts: €6 cardinal for nan deceptive pricing and €3 cardinal for nan fierce barriers to cancellation.

Ryanair’s “Light-Touch” Critique

While a €9 cardinal good mightiness sound substantial, Ryanair has dismissed it arsenic a “light-touch” penalty. In a characteristically blunt statement, nan hose based on that nan good is acold excessively lenient to enactment arsenic a existent deterrent.

“Today’s Italian determination confirms what we’ve been saying for years,” said Dara Brady, Ryanair’s Director of Marketing and Digital. “eDreams’ business exemplary depends connected deceptive practices while disguising their ain intermediary fees wrong inflated hose fares.”

Ryanair’s vexation stems from a long-standing warfare pinch “screen scrapers”—agencies that propulsion information from nan airline’s website to resell tickets, often astatine a markup. While Ryanair has precocious signed “Approved OTA” agreements pinch giants for illustration Booking.com, Lastminute, and Kiwi, eDreams remains a salient holdout. The hose claims that while its partners person agreed to value transparency, eDreams continues to overcharge unsuspecting passengers.

The Ripple Effect Across Europe

The Italian ruling is not an isolated incident. It follows a drawstring of ineligible blows against nan OTA exemplary successful different jurisdictions.

• In Germany, the Hamburg Regional Court precocious ruled that eDreams’ value displays were misleading, specifically regarding spot reservations and baggage fees.
• The Wider EU Context: Ryanair is now leveraging nan Italian good to push for a block-wide crackdown. They are urging nan European Commission to enforce a standardized “Transparency Requirement” that would unit each OTAs to show nan guidelines hose value alongside immoderate further work fees.

A Human Perspective: The Weary Traveler

Beyond nan firm sparring and ineligible motto lies nan existent victim: nan traveler. We’ve each been there—trying to book a speedy play getaway, only to find nan last checkout value is 30% higher than nan header fare.

When an OTA uses “emotional persuasion” aliases “time-pressure techniques” (like those flashing “only 1 room left!” signs), it strips distant nan traveler’s expertise to make an informed choice. Ryanair’s push for nonstop booking isn’t conscionable astir their bottommost line; it’s a telephone for a return to a “what you spot is what you get” economy. However, critics of nan hose constituent retired that Ryanair itself has faced galore fines for its ain analyzable interest structures successful nan past, starring immoderate to position this arsenic a “pot calling nan kettle black” scenario.

Looking Ahead: What Happens Next?

eDreams has already announced its intent to entreaty nan Italian fine, claiming their Prime work offers “substantial savings” and that nan determination misrepresents modular unit mechanics.

As nan lawsuit moves to nan European stage, nan result will apt dictate nan early of really we book travel. If Ryanair succeeds successful its lobbying, we could spot a monolithic displacement successful nan integer landscape, wherever OTAs are forced to run much for illustration recreation consultants and little for illustration hidden-fee middlemen.

For now, nan proposal for travelers remains simple: Compare nan “final” checkout value connected nan OTA pinch nan value connected nan airline’s charismatic app. A fewer other clicks could prevention you much than immoderate subscription ever will.