Hello there!
Edit: I’m sure this post belongs in Privacy@lemmy.ml because this post’s concern is with shilling facial recognition, promising benefits for it and overall describing it like the only sane option - “you wouldn’t want to stay in line for an hour, now, would you?”.
Just bought a Ryanair ticket that was, like, 17 euros. I saw that price and said “Wow! That’s like going to a movie but the movie is Slovakia!”. Bought the ticket, then received a looooot of spam, among which there was a letter saying that, since I bought from a third-party, I need to verify my identity first. On top there were 2 nice looking buttons that said “Verify Now” and above them there were two ways of verifying my identity enclosed in a nice frame. The first one would only take me 2 minutes and cost only 0.59 cents, and would utilize facial recognition technology,
Uses facial recognition technology. Verify in approx. 2 minutes. Requires a copy of the passenger’s identification documentation and a device with a camera.
the other one didn’t look so appetizing, because it might have taken up to 7 days (I’d be leaving in 4), it would have no cost (for free) and would use no facial recognition technology, hence the 7 day wait
Verifies the passenger’s signature. Verify within 7 days. Requires a copy of the passenger’s identification documentation and a device with a camera.
Following the two ways there was a third way, which was in no way highlighted as the first two, and it said that if I wanted, I could go there myself and hand them my passport, but they explicitly dissuade me from doing so because “it would imply a payment of a check-in fee”
Passengers who do not avail of Express Verification or Standard Verification to verify their bookings can verify at the Ryanair ticket desk up to 60 minutes before departure.
However, we do not recommend this option as an airport check-in fee will apply (please see our Table of Fees).
The facial recognition way sounded like an angel’s voice among the devil’s screams, when compared to the other two. It was presented almost like “an offer JUST for you”, like “Look. I normally don’t do this, but since you’re such a nice guy…”. I obviously discarded the facial-recognition way as soon as I read “facial recognition”, but also because they so strongly suggested against me paying 55 euros (I called and asked) to them. Now, if the 55 euros are going to Ryanair, it sounds so unreasonable for them to almost refuse taking my money [However, we do not recommend this option as an airport check-in fee will apply (please see our Table of Fees).]. Who doesn’t want an extra 55 from each old person that buys their ticket? I would, however, understand if that 55 were to go entirely to the airport, not Ryanair, but I don’t think that’s how it works (correct me if I’m wrong). It seemed like they wanted to own my face more than my 55 euros, so it must be that they would earn much more from my face than from my wallet. I don’t want to allow that. I assume that, when applying to the facial recognition option, I would need to accept a specific ToS allowing them to store and sell my pretty little face around. I can’t allow that. I also understand that this is a low-cost flight and they need to reach a certain earning with alternative methods (i.e. selling my face to third-party and whatnot), but since they allow to pay for the ticket AND the 55 for the check-in then that sum must cover the whole thing and it must be the non-low-cost full price. Why then would I sell you my face allowing you to use me to make much more money than you should? For the commodity of doing the verification from my couch in 2 minutes? That’s not enough for me to sell myself, and neither should it be for anyone else (who has some, if not pride, then self-respect).
The whole picture looks a bit manipulative to me and I’d rather waste the money I spent on the two-way ticket and airbnb, stay home and never have anything to do with Ryanair.
You get what you pay for.
Sorry OP, but as someone who worked in the industry, I have run out of sympathy with people who fly ryanair.
It’s not like it’s a state secret that they’re scum.
You get what you pay for.
Yuck
There’s no law stating cheap stuff has to be shit, it’s just an assumption based on market ideology
No one’s twisting RyanAir’s arm to be dickheads
No one’s twisting RyanAir’s arm to be dickheads
No one’s twisting consumers’ arms to be dickheads by buying products or services from unethical companies. People know ryanair flouts labour laws, treats passengers like shit, and that air travel is destroying the planet. Just like people know cheap fast fashion made in Myanmar or China has quite likely been (in part) made with slave/child labour.
I’m not pretending to be a saint, but why should people who don’t give a shit about others, expect the rest of us to give a shit about them? What goes around comes around.
It’s not that different to someone some rich Saudi complaining about their slave spitting in their food. I mean, sucks for you, but I’ve run out of tiny violins Marie Antionette.
A lot of people are in for a very rude awakening as the climate crisis worsens and the global order changes.
If it’s that cheap, though, it just has to be shit. It’s just not realistic, otherwise
The problem is… I’ve now placed Lufthansa on my scum list after two terrible customer service experiences with their idiotic policies. And I paid way more than I would have with Ryanair
Try Air France, they are seriously good.
Went to Denmark, no luggage (only cabin), got an email the day before leaving saying there were place so I could have a check-in luggage for free.
They’ll let you take an earlier plane if there is room.
No cabin luggage BS.
And they serve a little “meal” even on shorter flights.
That’s my experience anyway.
Wouldn’t this be illegal as there seemed to by mandatory additional fees that were not disclosed as you purchased the ticket?
So the trip is not 17 euros, but 72 euros without gracias face recognition. Quite deceiving!
Edit: lol I meant face, not gracias 😆
Low-cost entry point products (including low-cost airline tickets) will be at the forefront of corporate bullshittery and privacy concerns for a long time.
Thanks to OP for pointing this one out. The best we can do is hope for good awareness and changes coming from that (and obviously, for those with the means for bigger changes, please speak up).
So besides all the (justified) Ryanair hate here… 3rd party ticket resellers are also scum and you should never use them.
I haven’t bought a Ryanair ticket in a while, but on their own website it is AFAIK “just” the usual dark pattern trying to upsell you BS you don’t need.
Absolutely. My friends and I just flew with Ryanair from Rome to Barcelona, and besides almost losing my mobile boarding pass because I almost lost my phone, it was completely fine. I’ve heard a lot of things about them strictly enforcing luggage sizes, so I just made sure I only bought the tickets through the official website while ignoring the upselling dark patterns and got bags I knew would absolutely fit the stricter luggage requirements.
Given the alternatives were either Wizz, Lufthansa, or Easyjet for a direct flight, I think I made the right decision.
I wouldn’t have bought it from a third-party, my not-so-tech-savvy wife did. Thanks for the warning though
yeah man thats nuts… satanic black magic- sick shit!
honestly you could have just gone to the ryanair website and gotten another ticket for 17 and not done any of this
I don’t know if there are European regulations that prevent it but I could see the cancellation fee being like 25€, lol.
I always buy from third party. Cheapair accepts cryptocurrency.
I’ve had many terrible past experiences with my payment failing with a credit card, most likely due to false positive fraud detection systems (I do a lot of things to protect myself on the internet)
I’ll never buy a flight again with fiat. Cryptocurrency is push-based and permissionless, so they couldn’t block my payment even if they wanted to. It works every time.
But unless you’re paying with Monero, you paying with cryptocurrency is not private at all. Idon’t know a lot about cryptos but I’ve heard blockchain is even more traceable than fiat and even less private as paying with cash.
This is payment for a flight. I don’t need it to be private or anonymous. But I do need it to let me pay.
I do know a lot about cryptocurrency. IMHO the most important features are that they are permissionless and push-based.
This makes them more secure and unblockable.
If I wanted anonymity, I’d pay with Monero. But that doesn’t matter for a flight that requires me to auth with my passport…
