A series of rulings from the Hamburg Regional Court has sharpened a long-running legal battle between Ryanair Holdings plc (NASDAQ:RYAAY) and eDreams ODIGEO, with both sides citing court decisions to support sharply opposing claims on pricing transparency and consumer protection.
Court Faults eDreams' Price Displays
Ryanair said three judgments issued on Jan. 8 confirmed that eDreams misled consumers by displaying seat and baggage prices without clearly disclosing its own service fees. The court ruled that eDreams' "price display for seat reservations without disclosing the additional fee… is in any case misleading," describing the practice as "a misleading practice by omission."
The court also found eDreams had been "misleading about the service fee" for checked baggage and ruled that advertised savings under its Prime subscription "cannot actually be achieved" by consumers.
Ryanair said the rulings validate its long-standing push for transparent pricing and urged customers to book directly on Ryanair.com or through approved online travel agency partners that follow its transparency standards.
"These Hamburg Court decisions reinforce what Ryanair has long advocated – transparent pricing for consumers," said Dara Brady, Ryanair's chief marketing officer, adding that eDreams "continues to scrape our fares and overcharge consumers."
Separate Rulings Against Ryanair
In a separate set of decisions announced by eDreams ODIGEO, the same Hamburg court fined Ryanair for breaching a court injunction secured in May 2025, citing "bad faith" non-compliance. The judge ruled the airline had the resources to comply immediately but chose not to and remains in breach.
The court also declared several Ryanair practices unlawful, including its blanket "non-refundable" policy, fees charged for processing government tax refunds, and a consent mechanism that pre-ticked terms and conditions.
eDreams ODIGEO said the rulings add to a growing list of adverse decisions against Ryanair across Europe and called on EU and national authorities to enforce compliance to protect consumers.
RYAAY Price Action: Ryanair shares were up 0.26% at $70.73 during premarket trading on Friday. The stock is approaching its 52-week high of $74.23, according to Benzinga Pro data.
Image by Markus Mainka via Shutterstock
