Budget airline Ryanair was today criticised by an advertising watchdog in Britain for making "misleading" price comparisons with British Airways.
In newspaper adverts Ryanair claimed it offered one-way fares to Montpellier in France from £59. The one-way price with BA, it said, was from £459.
Ryanair listed prices for a number of other destinations where it claimed it was significantly cheaper than BA for a one-way fare.
The adverts prompted four members of the public to contact the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) after they appeared in regional and national newspapers.
They challenged the prices quoted to Montpellier for both Ryanair and British Airways.
Ryanair said the price of a one way flight with BA was £469.31 including tax and passenger service charge and sent the ASA a printout of a booking itinerary to substantiate its claim.
It also supplied the ASA with what they said was proof that seats were available at the £59 price on Ryanair flights.
However, the ASA noted the BA flight was in February this year and the Ryanair flight in April.
It also noted the information from Ryanair showed its passengers had in fact paid £61.13 not £59.
The ASA upheld the complaints saying Ryanair "had not proved that BA one-way tickets to Montpellier started from £459 and that it was misleading to compare BA's fare in February with Ryanair's fare in April."
The ASA rejected a second complaint about the same advert which said it was unfair to compare British Airways with Ryanair because BA did not fly direct to some of the destinations listed.
PA