Ryanair has been publishing misleading advertising, according to a new ruling by the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA).
Reacting to a complaint made to it by rival Easyjet, the ASA said Ryanair’s claim that it was “the cheapest way to the sun” under which it encouraged people to book for summer 2010 was misleading.
It said it studied a list of prices that Ryanair submitted for the summer period and concluded that it was sometimes cheaper to fly with Ryanair compared to rival carriers but not for the sustained summer period.
It therefore upheld Easyjet’s claim that Ryanair’s statement that it was the cheapest way to the sun could not be substantiated and that the advert was misleading.
Easyjet’s UK general manager Paul Simmons said: “Here we go again, Ryanair misleading the public about prices.
“We welcome the adjudication by the Advertising Standards watchdog which identifies not one, but two counts where Ryanair has tried to deceive the travelling public.”
by Dinah Hatch
