Airline fee option

I WAS surprised at Fiona Ní Mhurchadha’s letter (October 26) about Ryanair’s €10 credit/debit card payment fee, when she doesn’t have to pay it.

The purpose of this fee is to encourage passengers to use our recommended Visa Electron card, which is entirely free of charge and avoids all “stupid” charges.

Sadly, the Government’s €10 tourist tax can’t be avoided, which is why four million fewer passengers will travel through Ireland’s high-cost airports in 2009. A tax that drives away tourists? Now that’s really “stupid”.