“The perfect, hassle-free gift for friends and family this festive season” – that is Ryanair’s description of its newly launched Christmas gift cards. Europe’s biggest budget airline adds: “After all, who doesn’t love an excuse to getaway?”
Giving travel as a present is an excellent plan: all the evidence since the Covid pandemic is that people value experiences over possessions. But if you buy a gift card for a particular airline, you risk providing a distinctly inferior experience. It will restrict the recipient’s options on timing and flight options. You could inadvertently cause them to make sub-optimal choices – or even end up wasting some or all of your generous present.
