Ryanair has been accused of operating a system which "defies logic" after it emerged that customers purchasing gift vouchers from the airline cannot use them to avail of its cheapest web-based fares.
A spokeswoman for the company confirmed that customers trying to book flights with one of its gift vouchers could only do so through its "Ryanair Direct" telephone booking service. This was for verification purposes, she said, and occurred because the technology for verifying vouchers online was not yet available.
However, she acknowledged that its web-based fares were always cheaper than the prices offered by its telephone booking service. This means customers who have purchased the vouchers may end up paying more for their flight than if they had booked online with a credit card.
One reader who contacted The Irish Times said when he went to book a flight earlier this year, the price he was quoted through Ryanair direct was more than twice the web-based fare.
"I would have had to pay nearly exactly the same amount on top of redeeming my €50 voucher," he said, "so I opted to book on the site and save it for use another time."
Mr Dermott Jewell, chief executive of the Consumers' Association of Ireland, said he could not understand why the airline was unable to find a solution.
"I can't help but feel that consumers are not being clearly told that it will cost more money using the gift vouchers," he said. "It defies logic."