Friday, 11th July 2008
Ryanair hits back at Air Malta
Ryanair yesterday rejected Air Malta's "attempts to justify its outrageous fuel surcharge", saying the price of fuel has similarly increased for Ryanair "who have not and never will impose a fuel surcharge".
It was replying to a statement issued last week by Air Malta which rebutted Ryanair's criticism of the national airline's fuel surcharge policy.
Ryanair said it makes no excuse for making every effort to reduce the cost of flying for its customers, including seeking cost reductions from all its partners, including airports, many of which, like Malta International, "enjoy a monopoly status in the regions they serve".
These airports, Ryanair said, have made massive profits at the expense of passengers in the past but Ryanair "will continue to champion the consumers' interest even if Air Malta would rather slap on excessive, outrageous and unjustified fuel surcharges".
Commenting on Air Malta's statement last week, Ryanair's deputy chief executive officer Michael Cawley, said yesterday in Dublin: "Lawrence Zammit (Air Malta chairman) has said that we've quoted the incorrect average flight price for Air Malta. I now challenge him to publish their average fare and let's find out if it's really only 150 per cent more expensive than Ryanair rather than the 227 per cent which we had published.
"Either way, Air Malta has been ripping off consumers for years and continues to do so with the imposition of these outrageous and unjustified fuel surcharges. In common with all airlines, Ryanair has to cope with increased fuel prices but we will never, ever, introduce a fuel surcharge".
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Comments
No matter the extra charges, Ryanair is simply the cheapest in base ticket prices (with an average of about €40 I think) and is among the cheapest airlines in Europe. Some charges, such as the €15 for taking luggage, are related to what market segment Ryanair targets. Many if not most Ryanair passengers fly short trops (weekends of mid-weeks) and are supposed to take hand luggage only. Taking more means handling and fuel costs, which is a frill for which passengers pay. Ryanair's drive for efficiency results in for example far less bags lost than Air Malta, even though Air Malta does quite well to that end compared with other legacy airlines.
Air Malta cannot beat Ryanair at the latter's strong points, but is perceived to provide a more pleasant service and remains a strategically important asset for the country.
What all airlines need is for MIA to become much cheaper instead of throttling the Maltese tourism industry by carrying excessive profits off to Vienna.
Air Malta: just what where they doing for the past 30 years before Ryanair woke them up?
Ryanair: Disceetful, devious and fundamentally wrong to advertise a fair which doesnt exist, and what kind of idiots do you think passengers are when you introduced your 'baggage' fee? Everyone knows that a luggage in the hold should be a given when purchasing their ticket. They have augmented the price and taken the pleasure out of flying in general and replaced it with sheer worry over where they will find a way to slap on an extra cost to your ticket.
Two dreadful companies who are equally as bad as each other. All we ask for is a affordable, decent service, but neither of you can provide it can you?
I have just checked on www.airmalta.com and a round trip fare to Milan , about 2500 KM , in the first week of August costs about Euro 330 , less Euro 30 in taxes/airport charges.
According to my calculations , that is about Euro 1 for every 8 Kilometres for Airmalta .
Your Euro 500 is a bit exagerated , but still Euro 1 for a 5 Kilometre trip :-)
Fair comment but maybe not totally correct .......yours ???
@ Robert Agius
When I was younger and single , I have very pleasnt memories of Moscow .
My advice , usually ladies-of-the-night have a strong pimp in attendance , and carry a lot of germs.Hold on to your money and watch your back , when dealing in the middle of the night, in a dark room . Careful you do not get ripped off , but do enjoy yourself .
How I wish , I was 20 and walking across the Red Square on a sunny morning after a night of snow . Thanks for the memory :-) :P
The fare you are paying is reasonable when linked with the season you are travelling in, i.e. high season. Also, did you try VolareWeb.com? It is a new LCC with several offers to/from MLA.
Well, I'm in Moscow at the moment and had to book my flight back to Malta for for next week over a month ago since some prices were for over 400Euro (one way). Erm....no choice but Air Malta really since Ryanair doesn't fly here. I got mine for 218Euro...at least that price was reasonable.
I don't have a wife so i'll stick to the lady of the night :P Seems like a good idea to opt for a lady of the night if one's wife is a bloodsucker though!
Re other charges, those are not my concern. I just want a ticket to get me from place to place at a price i'm not being ripped off at.
Maltese worker, Irish worker....i don't care as long a I get a decent price. Sorry but I'll just stick to finding the cheapest option for me. My profit and losses are as valid as both Air Malta's and Ryanair's. I never needed a refund from either luckily enough.
Last time I flew Air Malta I had a 4&1/4 hour delay in Birmingham airport with little explaination except, 'we have technical problems' seems they had to send to London for a spare part!! We got a £5 voucher for a dry sandwich!! thanks but no thanks.
airmalta. Do you know the cost????? 500Eurso in economy class.
Yes that's it FIVE HUNDRED EUROS!!! and you say that this is not a
rip off? Of course Mr Zammit's fares are probably paid for him aren't
theY??
Why don't you compare a flight to Brussels or Rome or Tripoli or Moscow? Ryanair serves only itself for profit , rightly so as a business entity.
Can you compare the carriage of a sick child to a London Hospital ? Can you compare rates for Cargo carriage or compare the rates for the daily airmail ?
You are comparing your wife to a lady of the night !!!
Where is the airport tax you pay ending up ? Is it sponsoring a get-rich quick lady-of-the -night ?
Competition is Fair when the playing field is level .
Try to book a wheelchair or get a refund for any complaint , you will definately FLY AIRMALTA next time .
Invest in Brand Malta and forget about Brand Ireland , assist your fellow Maltese worker , who spends his money again in Malta and pays Maltese taxes.
Can you give me the rates for a flight to Heathrow using Air Malta BEFORE Ryainair existed (please note - also before the increase in the price of oil)? Indeed they do include many fees with Ryainair but I don't think we have any reason to complain now do we!! In the meantime, just let the kids play....
Well done for factoring in your calculations ALL the charges a passenger will incur. Free market at work...the comparison is there for all to see...and seriously, how many more 'fees' can be dreamt up ? Check-in fee ?? Why would someone buy an airline ticket if not to 'check-in' ?
Having worked previously in the travel trade, online systems are only good for point-to-point fares. Should one go on complicated routes, you still need a travel agent to figure out the complexities and online chaos of fare pricing, etc. I suggest that the Consumer Department issues a statement about the true "hidden charges" like they did MFSA when they tackled the bank charges comparison. Then, only then, these airlines will stop pointing fingers at each other, like kids.
Lets see a flight for a week in January 16th - 23rd costs...
with Air Malta from Heathrow
Fare: £12.00
Taxes: £44.40
Fuel Surchage: £39.80
Checkin fee: £0
Luggage fee £0
Credit Card Fee: £0
TOTAL: £96.20
plus train in to central London: £8 (Tube). Total of £104
With Ryanair (inc luggage and check in) its...
Fare: £0.00
Taxes: £43.63
Fuel surchage: £0
Checkin fee: £8
Luggage fee £16
Credit Card Fee: £8
TOTAL: £75.63
Return Train to central London £25.70
TOTAL: £101.33
Thats right, for £3 more you can land in a more central location!