The MoneySavingExpert (MSE) team, founded by Martin Lewis, has highlighted a simple way to cut costs on Ryanair bookings: pay in the local currency rather than British pounds. The trick can shave off a few pounds per flight, especially on more expensive tickets.
How the Currency Swap Works
When booking a return flight, MSE recommends searching for the outbound and return legs as separate one-way tickets in different browser tabs. The return leg will be priced in the currency of the departure country. Travellers can then compare the combined cost with a standard return booking and choose to pay in the local currency using a card that does not charge foreign transaction fees (typically around 3%).
MSE said: "Generally speaking, the more expensive the flight, the bigger the potential saving. In our spot check, the savings when paying in Euros were bigger than when paying in non-Euro currency (such as Polish Zloty or Hungarian Forint, which was actually more expensive to pay in than in pounds)."
Examples of Savings
In June, MSE provided examples of potential savings on one-way flights to London or Manchester:
- Warsaw to London: £55.09 in GBP vs £53.04 in Polish złoty – 3.72% saving
- Ibiza to London: £82 in GBP vs £77 in Euros – 6.1% saving
- Kefalonia to London: £119 in GBP vs £111.64 in Euros – 6.18% saving
- Barcelona to Manchester: £25 in GBP vs £21.64 in Euros – 13.44% saving
- Budapest to Manchester: £63 in GBP vs £64.34 in Hungarian Forint – 2.13% more expensive
Important Warning
MSE cautioned customers not to accept Ryanair's "guaranteed exchange rate." After entering card details, a message appears showing the cost in pounds using Ryanair's rate. Travellers must click "more information" to opt out and use their bank's rate instead, which typically offers a better deal.
The team added: "You will only get the full gain of any savings using specialist plastic that doesn't charge a foreign transaction charge (usually around 3%)." Accounts without such fees include digital current accounts, online-only app banks, and select travel-friendly accounts from traditional banks.
