Ryanair tech problems - or a canny marketing team?

There will certainly be a bit of sniggering in some quarters when people learn that low cost carrier Ryanair was apparently the victim of an internet glitch last week.

The supposed glitch, according to reports in the Irish media, allowed users to skirt the airline’s current two-for-one offer and re-book cheap tickets.

An email was circulated to thousands of people in Ireland with details of how to get into the system and purchase the tickets.

A page where customers could enter an existing confirmation code appeared to have failed, allowing users to book more flights at the heavily discounted rate.

We have since checked out the page and users can still get into the system with any confirmation code, but a search of flights now reveals no availability.

Looks like Ryanair techies have fixed the problem.

However, was this faux pas just a bit of a cock-up on Ryanair’s part? Or just a clever piece of viral marketing to get rid of the remaining discounted tickets? You decide…

Kevin May, editor, Travolution