Ryanair strikes deal with online agent On the Beach after legal spat and war of words

The deal allows On the Beach to list Ryanair flights on its website without markups, according to a statement. 

Ryanair is back in friends with online travel agent On the Beach Group, bringing an end to a long-running spat and war of words between the two companies over market competition.

The deal, coming four months after Ryanair accused the aggregator of issuing a “hypocritical press release” calling for fair play, allows On the Beach to list Ryanair flights on its website without markups, according to a statement. 

The move marks Ryanair’s fourth online travel-agency deal this year and follows partnerships with Loveholidays, Kiwi.com and TUI, Europe's largest holidays operator. All of the accords have been made under similar conditions that customers aren’t overcharged for fares.

On the Beach shares rose as much as 12% in London trading, the biggest gain since early December in 2023. Ryanair shares were little changed in Dublin trade.

On the Beach has been embroiled in a legal battle with Ryanair after the package holiday provider sued the airline in 2021, accusing it of anti-competitive behaviour. 

Ryanair was ordered to pay more than £2m (€2.3m) last year to holiday service providers including On the Beach for flight cancellation refunds during the pandemic.

“This agreement enables both parties to move on from outstanding litigation and we look forward to working closely with our new partner,” Shaun Morton, the chief executive officer of On the Beach, said in the statement.

 Bloomberg