Ryanair Secures Court Settlement Against eDreams Over Booking System Circumvention
Ryanair has secured a settlement with online travel agency eDreams in a High Court case concerning the circumvention of the airline’s fresh secure flight booking system. The dispute centered on allegations that eDreams, along with Indonesian and Australian agencies, exploited a platform designed for traditional brick-and-mortar travel agents.
Background of the Dispute
Ryanair introduced a “travel agent direct” platform intended for agencies dealing with customers in person or over the phone. The airline alleged that eDreams, in collaboration with PT Span Ocean Travel (Jakarta) and Geelong Travel (New South Wales, Australia), attempted to bypass Ryanair’s controls by utilizing accounts associated with these agencies to make bookings that would not otherwise be possible through online channels.
According to court filings, Ryanair claimed PT Span Ocean Travel made 22,435 bookings through the platform since January 6th, averaging one booking every three minutes, 24 hours a day. Ryanair suggested this activity, coupled with the apply of potentially fake customer email addresses, indicated automated booking practices, or “bots.”
Settlement with eDreams
Following talks between legal representatives from Ryanair and eDreams on Tuesday, March 3, 2026, Ryanair’s counsel, Martin Hayden SC, informed Ms. Justice Marguerite Bolger that the proceedings against eDreams Odigeo SA and Vacaciones eDreams Sl had been settled based on undertakings provided by the company.
Ongoing Case Against Indonesian and Australian Agencies
The case against PT Span Ocean Travel and Geelong Travel continues, as neither agency was represented in court. The proceedings against these agencies have been adjourned to next week.
Ryanair’s Concerns
Ryanair expressed concerns about potential regulatory, data, consumer, and reputational risks stemming from eDreams’ alleged actions. Ruth Comiskey, Ryanair DAC’s head of litigation, stated in an affidavit that the airline and eDreams have a “long and fractious history” involving disputes over data scraping from Ryanair’s website.
Comiskey further explained that PT Span Ocean Travel received approval to use the direct platform on January 6th but quickly exhibited an unusually high volume of bookings. Ryanair suspended PT Span’s access on February 24th after a customer complaint revealed an eDreams booking linked to the agency. Geelong Travel’s access was suspended on February 25th following a similar customer complaint.
Ryanair has identified four additional travel agencies that may be engaging in similar practices and could be added as defendants in the future. Geelong Travel stated they were unaware of any prohibition against reselling Ryanair flights through online agents like eDreams and pledged to investigate.