Ryanair and On the Beach seal ‘transformational’ partnership

Agreement follows similar arrangements confirmed with Tui, Loveholidays and Kiwi.com

Ryanair has clinched a “transformational” deal with On the Beach as its fourth OTA partnership in quick succession.

The online travel agency will now be authorised to offer Ryanair flights, seats, and bags to their customers as part of its holiday packages.

The agreement follows similar arrangements confirmed with Tui, Loveholidays and Kiwi.com so far this year.

It comes after On the Beach Group was awarded £2 million in a UK high court ruling about Ryanair refunds in October.

The award was part of a case launched in 2021, as On the Beach sued Ryanair for blocking the OTA from booking flights with the airline and sought damages over refunds that it had paid out. 

However, today’s agreement with the low fares airline, which regularly complains against ‘pirate’ OTAs, was heralded by On the Beach as “transformational”, enabling both to “move on” from outstanding litigation.

Under the terms, On the Beach will only display Ryanair’s prices, without mark-ups and will only pass all relevant customer contact and payment details to Ryanair. 

This means On the Beach customers will not need to complete Ryanair’s customer verification process which the airline said “unauthorised OTA pirates’ customers” must continue to do.

The carrier said: “This is great news for On the Beach customers who will now be able to book Ryanair’s low fares as part of their On the Beach package with full price transparency, while still benefiting from On the Beach’s flexible payment plans, customer perks – including free lounge and fast track – and Atol protection.

“As a verified partner of Ryanair, On the Beach customers can book their package holiday with a Ryanair flight with full price transparency safe in the knowledge that they will not be overcharged for their flights or ancillaries.”

Ryanair has long campaigned for consumers to be protected from “OTA pirate scams”, including overcharges, hidden mark-ups, and providing fake customer contact and payment information.

Marketing, communications and and digital director Dara Brady said “Ryanair is pleased to announce our latest partnership with leading OTA, On the Beach. 

“This new deal will see Ryanair partner with its fourth approved OTA partner – the second OTA we have partnered with this month.

“On the Beach customers can now book Ryanair flights, seats, and bags as part of their holiday package with the guarantee that they will have full price transparency of Ryanair products without any overcharges or hidden mark-ups, and that they will receive any information regarding their flight directly from Ryanair as well as having direct access to their booking through their myRyanair account.”

On the Beach Group chief executive Shaun Morton said: “We are excited to have entered into this transformational partnership with Ryanair. 

“This will improve the booking and travel experience for our customers selecting Ryanair flights, while ensuring we can continue to provide customers with best value package holidays.” 

He added: “We will continue our campaign to safeguard consumer choice in the travel sector and the signing of this agreement marks a significant milestone in On the Beach’s journey, as we strive to do the best for our customers. 

“Importantly, this agreement enables both parties to move on from outstanding litigation and we look forward to working closely with our new partner.”