An aggressive 2-day Ryanair sale gave budget-savvy travellers the option to book a flight from Charleroi to Zaventem that went through Barcelona but cost less than a direct train journey.
The budget carrier pushed the promotion on social media with the hashtag #RyanairFiverFares releasing 1 million seats for €5 each.
The deal provided travellers with an opportunity to book two separate flights, one from Charleroi to El Prat in Barcelona and from there to Zaventem, for a total price of €10.
In what they called their "biggest sale of 2020," the airline launched the discount at the beginning of the week and gave travellers 48 hours to book a flight.
The deal, which ended at midnight on Wednesday, meant that it was cheaper to get from Charleroi to Zaventem by flying out of the country and back in again rather than travel the roughly 50 kilometres by train.
At the time of the sale, the price for one-way rail ticket from Charleroi to Zaventem stood at €17.10. By Friday, a ticket bought on the same day for the around 2-hour journey cost €23.10.
The sale came as part of efforts by the airline to boost operations in the aftermath of the slump brought on by the coronavirus pandemic, which has also seen it axe several jobs and encourage customers to hold on to travel vouchers instead of asking for cash refunds.
Gabriela Galindo
The Brussels Times
