Ryanair Flight Saver: MSE Discovers Local Currency Booking Trick
The team behind MoneySavingExpert (MSE) run by Martin Lewis has discovered that people can save money on Ryanair flights by using a simple method to book seats. The trick involves switching one setting when booking and paying in the local currency instead of their own.
According to MSE, the more expensive the flight, the bigger the potential saving. In a spot check, the savings when paying in Euros were bigger than when paying in non-Euro currency. For example, on a Warsaw to London route, paying in Polish zloty saved 3.72% compared to paying in GBP.
The MSE team also recommends searching for flights as separate one-way tickets and using specialist plastic that doesn't charge foreign transaction fees. This can help holidaymakers shave off extra costs from their return flights. Additionally, they advise against accepting Ryanair's 'guaranteed exchange rate' and instead opt out to use the bank's exchange rate.
Prices do vary, so it is worth experimenting with different dates, times, and airports. The MSE team provided examples of savings on routes such as Ibiza to London (6.1% saving), Kefalonia to London (6.18% saving), and Barcelona to Manchester (13.44% saving).