Aviation

Analysis: Ryanair’s Loveholidays deal shows airline values practicality more than OTA feud

Ryanair says itself that it has ‘long campaigned’ to protect customers from what it terms as ‘price gouging’ by online travel agents (OTAs)

Michael O’Leary, the Ryanair DAC chief executive. Ryanair says itself that it has “long campaigned” to protect customers from what it terms as “price gouging” by OTAs Picture: Fergal Phillips

Amid its unveiling of summer schedules across Europe, Ryanair also did something it described as “historic” this week: agreeing a deal with an online travel agent (OTA).

Ryanair, like all major companies, is constantly doing deals with new and existing partners.

What made this one stand out among the multitude of other agreements reached of late, however, is the airline’s ongoing feud with OTAs – which has culminated in the agencies pulling Ryanair flights from ...