Ryanair – when every page is a dark pattern

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Dark patterns and currency conversion

  • Many describe Ryanair’s old (and sometimes current) dynamic currency conversion: defaulting users into paying in their home currency at bad rates, with the cheaper “pay in local currency” buried behind small “more info” links.
  • Similar complaints about PayPal, Booking.com, Amazon, ATMs (esp. Prague), POS terminals, and other sites doing DCC or hidden FX markups; users call it “legalized theft.”

Booking flow, upsells, and UI tricks

  • Check‑in and booking flows are described as a gauntlet of upsells (seats, bags, insurance, priority, fast track, etc.), with:
    • Preselected or misleading options.
    • Small text links to decline extras.
    • “From $X” pricing based on cheapest leg, not total.
    • Changed wording/layout between visits and dynamic pricing.
  • Some report having to say “no” a dozen times; others feel this behavior is now standard across airlines, car rentals, hotels, and subscription services.

Baggage, check‑in, and punitive fees

  • Strict bag-size enforcement and under‑seat-only free luggage lead to surprise fees; sizing frames and overhead-bin charges are seen as traps.
  • Online check‑in cutoff and high airport check‑in/boarding‑pass reprint fees are viewed as designed to catch first‑timers or inattentive travelers.
  • One user was sold “fast track” in an airport that had none; support refused refund.

Third‑party bookings and ID verification

  • Ryanair emails and extra verification steps target tickets bought via online travel agents; travelers report being forced into a paid, third‑party ID scanning app, sometimes even when booking direct (suspected VPN/bot filter).

Comparisons and broader ecosystem

  • Other budget airlines (Wizz Air, EasyJet, Frontier, Spirit) and services (Kogan, Dropbox, utilities, medical, newspapers) are cited as similarly manipulative or worse.
  • Some say Wizz Air has even more egregious fees and “administrative” charges for repeated searches.

Ethics, regulation, and “regressive tax”

  • Dark patterns are framed as a regressive “tax” on the less tech‑savvy, tired, or neurodivergent; “internet/UX street smarts” become an economic advantage.
  • Posters debate why regulators (EU/US) don’t crack down harder; suggestions include browser extensions to neutralize dark patterns.

Defenses of Ryanair and low‑cost flying

  • Several argue Ryanair made intra‑EU flying vastly cheaper and more accessible, and that if you learn “the game” (travel light, read carefully, decline extras) it’s reliably cheap and technically well‑implemented.
  • Others now pay large premiums to avoid the stress, calling the experience demeaning even if flights are safe and on time.