Ryanair said today it had responded to a European Commission inquiry into its policy of banning bookings made on unauthorised "screen scraper" websites, saying the sites were overcharging travellers.
The airline said it had submitted to the commission evidence concerning four particular sites - Bravofly.com, Edreams.com, Volgratis.com, Wegelo.com - which it claims had inflated prices for its flights by as much as 370 per cent in some cases.
Chief executive Michael O'Leary has called on the commission to take action against the sites to prevent overcharging.
The commission began its investigation after Ryanair started cancelling bookings made through the sites from the start of the month because it said the sites were acting illegally. The inquiry is checking whether Ryanair's policy complies with an EU regulation that increased compensation for passengers stranded because of overbooked flights or cancellations.
Ryanair claims that the "screenscraper" sites are slowing down its own site, violating copyright and do not provide accurate pricing information.