Ryanair. Frustrating website security feature. Re-enter security code every few mins.

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A total pain, you would have to wonder what is going on in ryanair. Daily emails telling me about their cheap fares that I wouldn't even consider cheap anymore, customer service that stinks as someone said to me you actually approach the gate in fear that you will not be let on the plane for some reason, and now they make the website as annoying as possible for whatever reason, big fail.

Edit , I should have known, looking at the link this is about ryanair stopping websites letting people know where the ryanair cheap flights are, the few left anyway. With all their high paid smart arses you think they see that, they are heading for the skip, won't happen overnight but it's a slippery slope.
 
Yep, it put me off searching their website recently.
It should be fun on friday when the draw for Euro 2012 is complete and thousands of fans will be looking at the best way to get there.
 
Maybe someone found a way to hack their website - usually new security measures don't just "happen".
 
Its to prevent other sites screenscraping their fares. Now you have to prove you are a human interacting with the website by entering the RECAPTCHA code. Its fairly common on websites e.g. Ticketmaster so I dont know what the big deal is.
 
username123 said:
Its to prevent other sites screenscraping their fares. Now you have to prove you are a human interacting with the website by entering the RECAPTCHA code. Its fairly common on websites e.g. Ticketmaster so I dont know what the big deal is.
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But buying a concert ticket doesnt compare to buying an airline ticket. Concert goers don't have to factor in endless combinations of dates, arrival & departure times and venues when booking tickets.
 
Sent in an online complaint and got this back within an hour or so:

"Dear Customer,

Thank you for contacting Ryanair.

It was with great regret that we learnt of your dissatisfaction with the security checks on the Ryanair website during booking, however, we can ensure you that these measures are applied for the safety of our passengers and to prevent other sites screenscraping our fares.

We have however, forwarded your comments to the relevant department for their consideration.

Yours sincerely,
The Customer Service Team"

 :)

 Oh well that's alright then
 
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username123 said:
Its to prevent other sites screenscraping their fares. Now you have to prove you are a human interacting with the website by entering the RECAPTCHA code. Its fairly common on websites e.g. Ticketmaster so I dont know what the big deal is.
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How long will it take for the screenscraping guys to work around the Recaptcha? Or to pay slave labour in India or China to enter the Recaptcha codes manually?

Bad idea, Michael - bad idea.
 
So what if sites are screenscraping the ryanair site, you still have to go on ryanair to book the flights. Is ryanair trying to hide the fact that they have very few cheap flights anymore ? Unless you want to fly to the UK. As others have said, big mistake by ryanair many of my holidays are based first of all on the price of the flights, then location, then accomodation. The casual traveler is not going to spend an age trying to compare ryanair flights, times etc.
 
I had to put in a security code about 6 times over a 5 minute period recently. Did my head in. The thing is that in the end I found that the flights were cheaper with Aer Lingus. The Ryanair website has gone from being interesting to boring. I couldn't be bothered to browse anymore so there will be no more impulse buys.
 
Really annoying. Even when you are only browsing you have to click on Terms and Conditions and now this. With little difference in price between Ryanair and Aer Lingus I'm afraid that Ryanair can keep their awful customer service. I don't need the stress associated with doing business with them.
 
@Complainer - I think it will take a very long time for that to happen in fairness. Captchas are a fairly well proven methodology for stoping automated requests.

@thewatcher - I think some websites were scraping the prices and then selling the flights on their own sites so in that instance, the customer would never actually visit the Ryanair site.

Most websites when implementing a captcha would normally associate you passing the test with your current session so that you only have to do it once per visit to the website. If you have your cookies disabled though, you'll have to keep on passing the captcha, which would be very frustrating for users.

One interesting side effect of this is that Aer Lingus will no longer be able to scrape Ryanair's site to determine what prices they're charging for particular routes. I'm not sure that Aer Lingus do this but I know it's common practice in the airline/car rental industry.
 
rekhib said:
Captchas are a fairly well proven methodology for stoping automated requests.
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They are a well proven methodology for stopping automated requests AND lots of real human users too. They've thrown the baby out with the bathwater. There are lots of other options for stopping automated requests.
 
thewatcher said:
As others have said, big mistake by ryanair many of my holidays are based first of all on the price of the flights, then location, then accomodation.
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+1. That is what we have done in recent years. Our children our young so once we have a decent hotel close to the beach we don't mind where we go.
I usually just check most popular destinations and wherever the cheapest flights are, we book them.
This new system makes it more cumbersome to do that.
 
I travelled with Ryanair when they were the cheapest. I put up with a lot of angst when travelling with them. They are no longer the cheapest, in fact it is cheaper to book Aer Lingus to France next spring with Aer Lingus than Ryanair. If they think that putting this new security feature in place is for my benefit they are mistaken. I have been looking for an excuse not to travel with them anymore for a long time. Now that prices are broadly similar with other airlines is as good a time as any to bid them farewell. It was nice while it lasted.
 
I am ready to go bonkers with the site. I have been trying to book flights for May and June next year. Two people going out on different dates and I am moving back and forward between weeks everytime I move to the next week, I have to put in more security numbers. It is just so much hassel I am getting confused in my prices, dates and times from the previous week when I eventually get into the next week! I also find the dates section at the start very slow or it could of course be that I am a very impatient person!
 
One way that could have been implemented is to have a login system. That way you could save your credit card details as well. For those that login the security thing wouldn't have to be filled in.
 
I found this out last night. Its terrible.
I just use skyscanner. I noticed Ryanair wasnt on it and went to their site to have a look at flights for different dates only to be driven insane by this captcha thing they have now.
From now on im just using skyscanner. If Ryanair dont want to be on it then tough on them.
 
Stronge said:
I am ready to go bonkers with the site. I have been trying to book flights for May and June next year. Two people going out on different dates and I am moving back and forward between weeks everytime I move to the next week, I have to put in more security numbers. It is just so much hassel I am getting confused in my prices, dates and times from the previous week when I eventually get into the next week! I also find the dates section at the start very slow or it could of course be that I am a very impatient person!
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Use skyscanner.ie
When you select the date choose the "whole month" option. Ryanair wont be on it anymore, but its just easier than going to each site.
 
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