OTA Loveholidays is to offer Ryanair flights as part of Atol-protected packages in a new distribution deal with the budget airline giant.
Loveholidays has agreed to only display Ryanair’s real prices, without mark-ups and will only pass accurate customer contact and payment details to the airline.
“This means Loveholidays’ customers will not need to complete Ryanair’s customer verification process which unauthorised OTA ‘pirates’ customers must continue to do,” the carrier said.
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The partnership also guarantees that loveholidays’ customers will not be overcharged and they will have direct access to their myRyanair account for all customer information questions.
Ryanair flight information will also be provided directly to customer email addresses.
“This deal allows Loveholidays’ customers to buy Ryanair flights, seats, and bags as part of their loveholidays package at Ryanair’s low prices,” the carrier added.
The OTA’s customers will now be able to book Ryanair fares as part of holiday packages with “full transparency, while still benefiting from loveholidays’ flexible payment plans and Atol protection”.
Ryanair has long campaigned for all consumers to be protected from OTA Pirate scams, which includes overcharges, hidden mark-ups, and fake customer contact and payment info.
Loveholidays’ chief marketing officer Al Murray said: “We are delighted to be the world’s first Ryanair-approved package holiday provider.
“Our status as an approved Ryanair partner will ensure the process of booking and managing a Ryanair flight as part of a loveholidays package is seamless for customers; something no other package holiday provider can offer.
“The loveholidays-Ryanair partnership means all our customers can take advantage of Ryanair’s low fares while benefiting from our unrivalled choice of hotels, flexible payment plans and Atol protection.
“Ultimately, this new partnership highlights our commitment to championing consumer choice, with the overall aim of making travel more affordable and accessible while opening the world to everyone.”
Ryanair marketing and digital director Dara Brady said: “We are pleased to announce this first OTA partnership with loveholidays, which will ensure that loveholidays’ customers can now book Ryanair flights, seats, and bags as part of their package with the guarantee that they will not be overcharged for flights, bags, or seats, they will receive flight updates directly from Ryanair and will also have direct access to their booking through their myRyanair account.”