Ryanair's 'Terrible' Currency Exchange Rates Exposed in New Investigation
Budget airline Ryanair has come under fire for offering what consumer experts describe as 'terrible exchange rates' on its website during the flight booking process. A comprehensive recent study conducted by the consumer champion organisation Which? has uncovered that the currency exchange mechanism employed on the airline's digital platform performs poorly when compared to standard rates available on other dedicated conversion sites.
How Passengers Are Overcharged on International Bookings
When customers book a ticket for a flight that originates overseas and travels into the United Kingdom, Ryanair and several other airlines display the fare in the currency of the departure country. For instance, Which? researchers calculated that a family of four planning to fly from Alicante to London during the upcoming summer season would be quoted a price of €1,439, based on the rates observed in February 2026.
Ryanair then converts this euro amount into British pounds for the final charge. However, the consumer expert found that the conversion resulted in a charge of £1,321, which was deemed a 'terrible exchange rate'. The investigation highlighted that when checking equivalent prices on the reputable currency conversion website xe.com, passengers would have ended up paying a substantial £81 more if they accepted Ryanair's automatic currency conversion, rather than simply paying in euros and letting their own bank handle the exchange.
This concerning issue has reportedly been a recurring problem across multiple flight bookings, suggesting a systematic practice rather than an isolated incident.
The Hidden Opt-Out Process to Avoid Poor Rates
Fortunately for passengers looking to book with the budget carrier, there is a method to circumvent this costly automatic conversion entirely. According to Which?, customers using Ryanair's website are indeed offered these poor exchange rates, but they can opt out of Ryanair's automatic conversion rate. However, the process requires navigating through several obscure steps.
After entering your payment card details, a figure appears displaying the conversion rate Ryanair is applying. There is also a discreet downward-pointing arrow accompanied by the text: ‘Want to learn more about our guaranteed exchange rate?’
Clicking on this arrow reveals a message stating: ‘If you do not wish to accept the exchange rate, you can pay in the currency of the flight and have the currency converted by your Payment Service Provider. However, bear in mind that the rate you receive from your bank is not guaranteed and is subject to daily fluctuations, which could result in a significantly different cost for you.’
Additionally, there is a pre-ticked checkbox with the advisory note: ‘We recommend you do not untick the checkbox so that you receive our guaranteed exchange rate.’
To ensure a better rate, passengers must ignore this warning, untick the checkbox, and allow their bank to calculate the exchange rate instead of Ryanair. Which?'s research, ongoing since this issue was first investigated in 2017, has consistently found that the bank rate has always been more favourable.
Ryanair's Response and Additional Booking Tips
In an official statement responding to the allegations, Ryanair asserted that Which?'s claims are 'false and inaccurate'. The airline added: 'Ryanair's currency conversion is competitive, but we don't care whether people use our currency conversion or use some other currency conversion service.'
The study also uncovered that opting for Ryanair's Regular ticket would mean paying approximately £59 more than if holidaymakers decided to book a Basic fare and purchased the same baggage and seat selection options separately. Which? further recommends that passengers ignore Ryanair's Plus fare option, which includes a 20kg suitcase and seat selection, as it may not represent the best value for money.
These findings underscore the importance of vigilance and informed decision-making when booking flights online, particularly with budget airlines where additional charges and opaque pricing practices can significantly inflate the total cost of travel.
