Key Post Using Ryanair Vouchers to cut the cost of flights

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Summary by Brendan 19 November 2009

Warning: Many people advise against using Ryanair Gift Vouchers as there are so many catches, however...

Ryanair charges €5 per leg for booking with a Credit Card. However, if you purchase a gift voucher from Ryanair with a Laser/CC for €XXX you do not pay said levy. You can then go back into the website and use the gift voucher to pay for your flight, rather than using your credit card, thereby saving the cost of the levy.

(Note you can avoid all the hassle by using Entropay to pay for the flights)

The main person on the flight must be the same as the name on the voucher. But you can use the voucer to book for others if the main person is the name on the voucher.

If the vouchers are worth more than the flight, you lose the unused portion.

If the vouchers are worth less than the flight, you have to pay the Credit Card charges anyway, so it works out more expensive.

Ryanair vouchers are sold in units of €25 and you should use them only if the flights come in just under a multiple of €25.

Example
I just booked flights for two people last night costing €96. The CC handling fee was €20 (4 flights x €5), making the total €116 for booking with a Credit Card.


Instead, I bought €100 of vouchers which cost €105 and applied them to the cost of the flight, thereby saving €11 on the total cost. Its not much but it feels so much better than paying the full amount!

Warning - if you make mistakes you are in trouble
They expire after 6 months
They are non-transferrable
Some people find them difficult to use
You must get the name right
You can only use them online - you can't book by phone
 
Extract from Ryanair's Terms and Conditions


  • Vouchers are non-refundable.
  • There is a €5/£5 (or local currency equivalent) handling fee for processing the purchase of gift vouchers.
  • Vouchers can only be redeemed on www.ryanair.com.
  • Gift vouchers must be redeemed within 6 months (186 days) of the voucher issue date after which date the voucher becomes void.
  • Travel can take place up to 12 months from voucher issuance provided the voucher is redeemed within the validity period specified above
  • The validity of the vouchers cannot be extended.
  • Vouchers are issued in denominations of €25/€50 or local currency equivalent.
  • If a voucher is partially redeemed the remaining balance is void.
  • Vouchers are only valid for the person named as the voucher recipient.
  • A maximum of 4 vouchers can be used to purchase a flight. If the total amount of ticket price exceeds the value of the voucher(s) any price difference must be paid by credit or/debit card.
  • Vouchers are only valid for the payment of Ryanair flights and any associated taxes, fees and charges.
  • Gift vouchers can only be redeemed in the currency of issue.
  • Name changes are not permitted when a reservation has been paid for using a gift voucher.
 
Re: Cutting the cost of Ryanair Flights

If you have a gift Vouchers say €50 and use say €38 of it. the remaining 12 euro is unuseable in future.( gone w/o)

You want to look for a flight coming in under 50 euro mark with all charges.

If you use a voucher and pay the balance, you are charged credit card charge on top.

gift vouchers are good if managed right.
 
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Re: Cutting the cost of Ryanair Flights

Be aware also that you can only book a flight for the person named on the voucher. If you have a voucher worth €50 and you want to book flights for 2 people, theyll only allow you to pay for the flight by voucher for the person named on it. So in effect a seperate voucher needs to be purchased for each person flying!
 
Re: Cutting the cost of Ryanair Flights

As an update to this, I just booked flights for two people last night costing €96. The CC handling fee was €20 (4 flights x €5), making the total €116. Instead, I bought €100 of vouchers which cost €105 and applied them to the cost of the flight, thereby saving €11 on the total cost. Its not much but it feels so much better than paying the full amount!
 
Re: Cutting the cost of Ryanair Flights

Flanders, quick question - if you booked flights for 2 people and paid by vouchers, did you have to book each flight seperate and pay seperate?
I think I read in an earlier post that only the person named on the voucher could use it to buy flights? so for 2 people do you have to use 2 vouchers?
 
Re: Cutting the cost of Ryanair Flights

helllohello,
Nope, no need for separate bookings - once the person named on the voucher is the main passenger then you can apply the vouchers to the total cost, even if that cost involves additional passengers. You proceed through the booking process as normal putting person (in my case me) named on the voucher as the first passenger and adding additional passengers, giving the total cost of the flight. When you get to the credit card section, there is a text box to enter a voucher code and click Retrieve Voucher. This will then reduce the total by the value of the voucher. You can repeat this with a second voucher then. If the vouchers total is enough to pay for the flight, the CC section becomes disabled and you can click Next to finish.

Hope this helps
 
Re: Cutting the cost of Ryanair Flights

Flanders - thanks very much - must try the vouchers next time i book.
up to now it really sounded too much bother to try.
 
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