December 23, 2025
Face scans, fee wars, €256m smackdown
Rynair was using dark patterns to block 3rd party ticket sales
Italy hits Ryanair with €256m fine; commenters yell “pot, meet kettle”
TLDR: Italy fined Ryanair €256m for blocking third‑party sales with tactics like face checks and payment blocks; the CEO says agents are the real scammers. Commenters are split between “ironic, given Ryanair’s own add‑ons” and “resellers are worse,” arguing over consumer choice, hidden fees, and who really protects travelers
Ryanair just got slammed with a €256m fine in Italy for allegedly using technical roadblocks to choke off ticket sales from third‑party sites—and the internet is cackling and bickering in equal measure. One commenter posted the archived article while another summed up the mess: Ryanair rolled out facial recognition for customers who bought through agents, then blocked payments and even mass‑deleted accounts to push everyone back to its own site. CEO Michael O’Leary calls resellers “pirates” who slap sneaky fees on customers. The crowd’s response? “Sir, the mirror is over there.”
The top vibe is pure irony: people recall Ryanair’s own maze of add‑ons and upsells—seat fees, bag traps, priority this, mystery that—so hearing the airline accuse others of ripping off customers has commenters shouting “pot, meet kettle.” Still, there’s real debate: some argue resellers do gouge travelers and Ryanair is right to cut them off; others say weaponizing security hoops and blocking payments is abuse of power, not consumer protection. There’s even a side‑quest dunk on media paywalls—“accept tracking or subscribe”—because of course. The meme energy: “Face‑ID to fly cheap,” “CAPTCHA at the gate,” and “dark patterns vs. darker patterns.” Ryanair vows to appeal; commenters vow to keep receipts
Key Points
- •Italy’s competition authority fined Ryanair €256m for abusing its dominant position to limit online travel agents’ ticket sales and bundling.
- •The regulator cited tactics including facial recognition for third‑party buyers, blocking bookings and payment methods, mass‑deleting accounts, and restrictive partnership terms.
- •Conduct spanned from April 2023 to at least April 2025; only in April this year did Ryanair allow agency systems to link with its services.
- •Ryanair will appeal, with CEO Michael O’Leary arguing direct sales cut distribution costs by about 20% and lower fares in Italy and Europe.
- •Ryanair’s clampdown reduced sales and dented profits, yet the airline reached a record €31bn valuation, second only to Delta Air Lines globally.