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The practice by Ryanair of charging passengers extra for using credit and debit cards could be challenged following a court ruling in Germany. Just this week the no frills airline lost a court case in Germany about the handling charges that it imposes on customers booking online.

This case, which has not been reported in Britain, came about just following the complaint by the Federation of German Consumer Organizations over the imposition of a €8 charge per person, per return flight when passengers make payments by credit or debit cards. Right now the charge in Britain is £10 per person, per return flight.

The Berlin Superior Court of Justice deemed that the charge was inadmissible unless the airline could offer some kind of charge free method of payment. Ryanair said that its passengers can pay without incurring the extra charge by using Visa Electron cards. Ryanair decreed the Berlin court ruling as being crazy and said that it would appeal.

However, this new ruling could now encourage legal action elsewhere as well. The legal policy officer at the Federation of German Consumer Organizations said that this was a sign for other courts that the issue needed to be reconsidered.

Just earlier this year, Ryanair was referred by the Advertising Standards Authority to the Office of Fair Trading. This was done over the airlines unwillingness and apparent inability to comply with rules on misleading advertising over the past two years.

Additional charges and fees that are added on to ticket prices by Ryanair are said to bring in almost £650 million a year for the airline.

For more information visit: www.ryanair.com