Ryanair Launches New Assault Against Unauthorized Bookings
Skift Take
Airlines such as Ryanair, as well as hotels, have long argued that online travel sites are stingy about providing them with customer information, and that's a solid point. Could Ryanair have done more until now to provide passengers with refunds? Definitely.
Ryanair, which along with Southwest Airlines was a pioneer in insisting on direct bookings only, has gone after unauthorized screen scapers anew.
The issue that angered the Ireland-based low cost carrier this time was its difficulty in appeasing and providing refunds to irate passengers who may have booked their flights on online travel agency websites such as Kiwi, On the Beach, Love Holidays, and LastMinute.com.
In a video message released last week, Ryanair CEO Eddie Wilson lamented that these third-party websites provide the airline with "fake" email addresses and "fake" virtual credit cards so it's allegedly impossible for Ryanair to refund customers for coronavirus-related cancelled flights. (See the video message embedded below.)
Wilson said no website — other than Ryanair.com and the Ryanair app — is authorized to book Ryanair flights. He said these websit
