OAG Travel News

The European Commission has dropped its probe into the row between screenscraper websites and Ryanair.

According to Reuters reports, the regulation authority said it has received no complaints from passengers about the airline cancelling bookings made through screenscraper websites, despite media reports.

It said the matter has been dropped “for now” but it has reipeated its warning to Ryanair that passenger rights would apply if a passenger is denied boarding.

Ryanair’s director of legal and regulatory affairs, Jim Callaghan, said: “Ryanair is disappointed that yet again the European Commission is failing to protect consumers from the unlawful, misleading and anti-consumer practices of screenscraper websites, who are illegally accessing Ryanair’s website and imposing hidden mark-ups of up to 300% on Ryanair fares.

“Ryanair has provided specific examples of these unlawful practices to the Commission and yet the Commission again fails to take any action on behalf of consumers against these illegal ticket-tout websites.

“Ryanair will continue to fight these screenscrapers to protect consumers from these unlawful and abusive practices, while the European Commission again fails consumers.”

Ryanair had claimed that it has suffered “dramatic slowdowns and outrages” to the Ryanair.com website due to the activities of screenscraping sites which it has tried to ban.

Source: By Bev Fearis www.travelmole.com