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Ryanair sharp practice re currency exchange

  • 28-11-2011 1:23pm
    #1
    DublinWriter
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,559 ✭✭✭


    Book a flight with Ryanair and when it comes to entering in your payment details you'll be asked the 'Billing Country' from a dropdown list.

    If you select a country other than the UK, because the flight cost is in GBP, Ryanair will charge you currency conversion at its own arbitary and expensive rate.

    You are not given an option to be allowed to be billed in GBP.

    For example, I booked a Ryanair flight almost ten minutes ago and the GBP/EUR exchange rate I was charged was 1.24149. I checked the rate on XE.COM immediately after booking and the spot rate was 1.16440.

    Normally I'm not a Ryanair basher. You get what you pay for and I've flown happily with them for years and years.

    However in this instance I call sharp practice. It's like going up to Newry, using your credit card and only having the option of paying in Euros at a rate decided by the shop.


Comments

  • #2
    jameshayes
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,772 ✭✭✭jameshayes


    only comes into play when you are departing from a country which has a dif currency than the billing country... ie. if you have a euro credit card but are flying from UK.


  • #3
    ted1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 23,661 ✭✭✭✭ted1


    your confusing people....


    you have an euro credit card, however were booking flights that orginated in the UK.


    so you may liv ein dublin, but wanted to book flights from say to london to paris.

    in this case you woul dbe charged in GBP, they then have to covert this to the euro. very rarly do any company match xe as the price they get is different also there is administration fees.

    really this only affects a small percentage of people.


  • #4
    ardmacha
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,476 ✭✭✭ardmacha


    really this only affects a small percentage of people.

    Which doesn't make it any more right.


  • #5
    steve-o
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 911 ✭✭✭steve-o


    This has come up in a few previous threads.
    DublinWriter wrote: »
    You are not given an option to be allowed to be billed in GBP.
    It is well hidden, but the option is there. If you click "more information" next to the price you have an option to avoid their outrageous exchange rates.


  • #6
    DublinWriter
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,559 ✭✭✭DublinWriter


    steve-o wrote: »
    This has come up in a few previous threads.
    It is well hidden, but the option is there. If you click "more information" next to the price you have an option to avoid their outrageous exchange rates.
    Thanks...as you say, that's very well hidden. Next time I book I'll look for it.

    It shouldn't matter where the flight is originating from - if Ryanair quote in GBP then they should charge directly in GBP.
    ted1 wrote:
    in this case you woul dbe charged in GBP, they then have to covert this to the euro. very rarly do any company match xe as the price they get is different also there is administration fees.
    No, they don't have to convert it to Euro. They should just charge in the currency they quote you the price for. Yes, there are administration fees - administration fees that Ryanair pass on at €6 for *per seat* in a single booking.

    For example, when I go shopping in Newry and pay with my ROI credit card, I am given the option at the till to pay in GBP or in EURO at Sainsburys daily rate. Their own rate is never as good as the Spot FX rate, so I always choose to be billed in GBP.


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  • #7
    Stinicker
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 7,102 ✭✭✭Stinicker


    When you are booking Ryanair there is a little tip I have learnt to avoid getting stung like this.

    Eg. you are booking London-Gatwick to Cork as happened with me recently. As the flight originates in the UK you will be charged in UK pounds normally unless as the op did and select billing country which can see you getting a worse exchange rate this way, and even if you select sterling you will get hit with the foreign exchange levy on the card.

    So when booking a Ryanair flight open a new tab or window with Ryanair.com and for e.g. select London-Gatwick to Cork for your dates (Or whatever UK destination!)

    When you are presented at the next page where you see the dates and prices stop there.

    Open a new window or tab and select an imaginary flight from Dublin to Spain or anywhere within the Euroland.

    Go back to your tab with the UK originating flight open in it and select and continue and you will now see that you are being charged in Euro even though the flight orginates in the UK. The rate being charged almost mirrors the Google exchange rate which you can find by googling 100GBP in EUR or whatever figure you want to a quick rate on, however the scumbag banks will always knock off a few cents for themselves, so using this method to get billed by Ryanair in Euro will save yourself abit of money between Ryanairs high ex/rates and credit card overseas fees.

    Just keep an eye on things that you don't accidentally book the dummy Euroland flight by mistake and as soon as the UK flight becomes denominated in Euro close the tab on the Euroland flight, I have used this in the Firefox browser a few times but am not sure if it works in Internet Explorer or Chrome etc.


  • #8
    kampik
    Registered Users Posts: 59 ✭✭kampik


    Hi, thanks for the trick to see euro instead of pounds. It still works.
    I was pretty scared of that warning(works as intended) that if I wont accept guaranteed price from Ryanair I could end up paying a lot more. They are pretty good in to convince you thats it's for your best and that it is a great risk. But i'm happy I kept cool head.

    Flights were 214 pounds. Google search advised me around 253 euro conversion. Ryanairs great offer was around 269.60 euro guaranteed best offer. Your trick on their website showed that if it was a euro flight it would cost 248 euro(even better than google search price).

    I did not accept their conversion and decided to be charged 214 pounds on my credit card. This week I checked my statement and AIB charged me 158 euro which saved me over 10 euro compare to Ryanairs guaranteed price.
    Don't trust them.


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