The Hungarian Competition Authority (GVH) has initiated a competition supervision procedure against Ryanair, the Ireland-based low-cost airline. The authority suspects that Ryanair has been employing unfair commercial practices in various aspects of its online flight booking process, potentially misleading consumers and applying psychological pressure to steer them towards more expensive service packages.

According to the GVH, Ryanair's Hungarian-language website provides unclear and outdated information during the online ticket purchasing process. The authority believes that the airline fails to adequately inform customers about the separate charges for round-trip tickets and multiple passenger bookings, which must be paid individually for each leg of the journey and for each passenger.

Ryanair is suspected of engaging in unfair commercial practices by how it displays the prices of its fare options, such as “Regular,” “Plus,” and “FlexiPlus,” as well as the fees for optional services like priority boarding and baggage. This could lead consumers to make purchasing decisions they would not otherwise make.

Furthermore, the GVH has observed that Ryanair may be using psychological pressure and confusion tactics on its Hungarian-language website, which could distort consumer decision-making. The airline allegedly creates the impression that the “Regular” fare option is more favorable compared to the “Basic” fare, despite the final price potentially being lower if consumers manually add the same additional services to the “Basic” option during the purchase process.

Additionally, manipulative practices related to promoting the “Security Fast Track” service, such as pop-up windows and urgent messages, are believed to significantly limit consumers' freedom of choice and behavior regarding the product, indicating further unfair commercial practices.

The initiation of this competition supervision procedure does not imply that Ryanair has committed a legal violation. The procedure aims to clarify the facts and substantiate the alleged infringement. The investigation is set to last three months, with the possibility of two extensions of up to two months each if justified.

The GVH has been closely monitoring the domestic aviation market in recent years, responding to an increasing number of complaints and reports regarding airline practices. In 2022, the authority conducted a comprehensive sweep analysis to examine whether airlines operating in Hungary, including low-cost carriers, were using dark patterns in their ticket sales and advertising practices.