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“The perfect, hassle-free gift for friends and family this festive season” – ie RyanairDetails of its newly launched Christmas gift cardEurope’s biggest budget airline says: “After all, who doesn’t love an excuse to escape?”
Gifting travel is an excellent plan: all the evidence since the Covid pandemic is that people value experiences more than wealth. But if you buy a gift card for a particular airline, you run the risk of providing a markedly inferior experience. This will restrict the recipient’s options on timing and flight options. You may inadvertently lead them to make less-optimal choices – or even waste some or all of your generous gift.
Companies love to sell vouchers. They take actual cash in exchange for a future obligation to offer goods and services at the same price. And unlike real money, once the cash is deposited in the bank there is no risk that the recipient will spend it with easyJet or Wizz Air.
Since the gift card is non-transferrable, it cannot be assigned to friends or family. The recipient can forget to use their gift until the expiry date (one year after issuance in the case of Ryanair), which then gifts the carrier some useful free money.
Some travel gift cards, but not Ryanair’s, insist that the value be used in a single transaction. With Ryanair, the balance can be carried forward for use within the year.
Yet even if the recipient is determined to use the voucher, their hands are tied. While Ryanair has the widest range of flights in Europe, other carriers may offer more convenient departure points. Looking at the UK’s two busiest airports: Ryanair has no presence at London Heathrow and Gatwick has very few flights.
If a rival airline has a better offer in terms of route, timing or fares, you will inadvertently block the recipient from the ideal itinerary.
Netherlands-based FlightGift claims it is “the best way to gift a plane ticket as it gives recipients ultimate flexibility”. The company says its “personal travel vouchers” can be redeemed on more than 400 airlines. But they can only be redeemed through FlightGifts, not directly with the chosen carrier. Test booking done by Independent For many British Airways flights an additional fee of between 7.5 and 9.5 percent is added.
You might also consider something like travel gift cards from GiftCards, another Dutch company, which claims to offer “a thoughtful and easy-to-use gift.” It can be redeemed through multiple companies National Express, jet2 Holidays and Best Westerns. But then, if Flixbus, tui or Holiday Inn has a more attractive offer, a gift card may cause some stress.
Can I suggest an alternative? Deposit £102 into the lucky recipient’s bank account (the Ryanair gift card will cost you £100, after adding the administration fee for the digital card). Give them a card saying you want them to do some flying. Or, if they prefer, travel by train.
It’s the thought that counts, so think deeply before linking the recipient to a single airline or a strictly limited number of travel companies.