Travel agents have hit back after Ryanair referred to them as the “greatest deadwood” and “the costliest parasites in the travel industry”.
The low-cost airline spoke out over the news that easyJet had signed deals with global distribution systems Amadeus and Galileo in a bid to target more corporate customers.
Ryanair head of communications Peter Sherrard said: “EasyJet has signed a deal [allowing] travel agents, the costliest parasites in the travel industry, [to book its flights].”
Boston-based Spa Travel partner Paul Dayson said Ryanair needed to look closely at how many agents book its flights.
He said: “Ryanair thinks it can do without us. It is getting a lot more from us than it realise. It should look at how much product is booked through the trade.”
Dayson said sometimes there is no alternative but to book Ryanair flights when dynamically packaging holidays.
Karen Forrester, owner of Cumbria-based agency Travel On said: “We have to use the airline so to call a travel agent a parasite is totally disgusting.
“We are all people and we all have to work and earn a crust.
“It is a shame we have to use its service, but online competition means we can choose who we work with most of the time.”
Ryanair has consistently slammed travel agents, claiming it does not need agents to operate and they are the pariahs of the travel industry.