Travel
Ryanair launches ‘Prime’ subscription service for frequent travellers. Is it worth it?
While subscription services might save travellers money, they are also a way to persuade more people to fly – which is bad news for the planet.
Low-cost airline Ryanair has launched a new subscription service offering perks that it says can save travellers up to five times the sign-up fee.
The subscriber discount scheme known as ‘Prime’ costs €79 for 12 months.
Member benefits include free reserved seats, free travel insurance and access to 12 annual (one each month) member-exclusive seat sales.
“Ryanair has been delivering the lowest fares (and the best services) in Europe for the last four decades, and we’re now extending our price leadership with the launch of our exciting new subscriber discount scheme,” says Dara Brady, CMO of Ryanair.
“So, if you like flying regularly while also saving money, then Ryanair ‘Prime’ is a no-brainer.”
The Irish carrier is not the only company to offer a subscription service – Hungarian Wizz Air launched an ‘all you can fly scheme’ last year starting at €499 annually.
While these services might save travellers money, they are also a way to persuade more people to fly – which is bad news for the planet.
Ryanair’s ‘Prime’ service allows travellers to save on seat fees and travel insurance. According to the company, subscription members who fly 12 times per year will save up to €420 (more than 5 times the sign-up fee).
“Even members who only fly 3 times per year will save €105 – that’s more than the €79 cost of becoming a “Prime’ member,” the airline says.
The subscription service is limited to 250,000 members on a first come first served basis, and travellers can sign up at ryanair.com.
Are flight subscription services a step back for sustainability?
Considering flight subscription services aim to encourage more travellers to take the plane, some environmental groups see them as a step back for sustainable aviation.
Talking about Wizz Air’s scheme last year, Hannah Lawrence from the campaign group Stay Grounded described the launch in the middle of a climate crisis as “like adding wood to a burning fire”.
“It shows the industry has no intention of reducing their emissions and cannot be trusted. While Wizz Air stokes the fire just to boost their profits, it’s those who have never set foot on a plane who will bear the biggest burden from the climate-wrecking emissions these flights will produce,” she added.
Stay Grounded also called for an urgent ban on frequent flyer programmes, the introduction of a frequent flying levy, and investment in grounded transport, “in order to avoid the worst of climate breakdown”.
Earlier this year, a spokesperson from the European Environment Agency (EEA) said that while many EU member states have policies in place to decrease transport-related greenhouse gas emissions by 14.3 per cent in 2030, programmes that encourage unlimited flying could contribute to environmental degradation, overtourism, and an increased carbon footprint.
“One effective strategy for mitigating the environmental impacts of mobility is managing demand whenever possible,” the EEA spokesperson added.
“Travellers should remain mindful of their consumption and waste. Choosing eco-friendly destinations, accommodations and activities, supporting local businesses, and prioritising lower-emission transport options – such as public transport, rail, walking, and cycling – over air travel can all contribute to more sustainable tourism.”
Travel
‘Fundamental for tourists’ trust’: Why Italy is cracking down on fake hotel and restaurant reviews
Italy’s new rules aim to tackle both mistaken and malicious reviews by requiring proof of a visit and banning incentives for positive comments.
Alessandro Gilmozzi is a famed chef and president of the Ambasciatori del Gusto (Ambassadors of Taste) association, which promotes culinary excellence in Italy.
He is also one of the leading proponents of Italy’s crackdown on fake hotel and restaurant reviews, which is pushing for stricter regulations for both consumers and businesses.
“Someone once wrote that he ate a panna cotta in my restaurant,” the owner of two-Michelin-starred El Molin told the Italian daily La Repubblica, “but I’ve never made that dessert.”
Gilmozzi discovered that the reviewer had never been to his restaurant and had simply made a mistake. “But you can also do damage, even in error,” the chef said.
Italy is tackling the problem of both mistaken and malicious reviews with new rules requiring proof of a visit and banning incentives for positive comments.
“Today marks an important step for the protection of our businesses,” Daniela Santanché, Italy’s tourism minister, told the media when introducing the legislation.
“Reviews, which thanks to this regulatory intervention will actually be truthful, are fundamental for the success of companies and for the trust of consumers and tourists.”
But how widespread is this problem across Italy, and what is already being done to tackle fake reviews?
‘Fighting fake reviews is crucial to protect customers’
False or manipulated content impacts between 6 and 30 per cent of the revenue of businesses in the hospitality and tourism sector, according to Italy’s ministry of enterprises. Many hotels contacted by Euronews Travel have had their own personal experiences of receiving reviews like this.
“Like many establishments in the industry, we too have encountered reviews that do not reflect a real experience or are clearly influenced by external factors, such as unfair competition or expectations not aligned with the service offered,” says Simona Lollini, Director of Revenues at Palazzo di Varignana, a hotel in the hills just outside Bologna.
“Sincere and authentic reviews are essential not only to ensure fairness, but also to allow our potential guests to understand our real positioning and the value of the experience we offer.”
Forte Village on the island of Sardinia says it has also received unfair and misleading reviews.
“Unfortunately, there are a growing number of cases that then prove to be fake information from guests looking to receive benefits from the hotels as a result, or by people who have never stayed at the property,” the resort says.
“Fighting fake reviews is crucial to protect consumers and provide businesses with effective tools against unfair competition.”
What are Italy’s new rules on writing hotel and restaurant reviews?
In January, the Italian government proposed a draft law to clamp down on misleading or damaging reviews about the country’s hotels, restaurants and tourist attractions.
Fake reviews are already illegal in Italy, but the country is stepping up its regulations to try and stop them from being left in the first place.
The legislation, which is still to be approved by parliament, will require anyone wanting to write a review to demonstrate proof of their visit – such as a receipt – and provide verifiable ID.
Reviews will have to be written within 15 days of a visit and should be detailed, transparent and relevant to the experience.
The draft law prohibits the practice of paid-for or incentivised reviews – such as offering customers freebies in exchange for positive appraisals – and selling content.
It also allows for the right to reply to comments, with establishments able to request their removal if deemed false or misleading.
Businesses will be able to ask for reviews that are more than two years old to be taken down as well as those that are no longer relevant (a comment about a hotel not having a lift that has now been installed, for example).
It is not yet clear how review sites such as Booking.com and Tripadvisor will account for the new rules, such as the requirement for proof of visit.
“We have long had in place a reviews system where only customers who have booked a reservation through our platform are able to leave a review, while enabling accommodation owners to respond to comments left by customers. We are monitoring the development of this law and how it applies to us,” Booking.com told Euronews Travel.
‘There seems to be a certain carelessness in leaving negative reviews’
Fines for violating the new rules will reportedly be between €5,000 and €10 million. The hefty sums reflect the frustrations of hospitality businesses, which say that, thus far, misleading comments have gone unpunished.
“There is perhaps an imbalance between the ‘right/power’ of customers to leave negative reviews and the ‘right/power’ of the company to defend itself,” says Mauro Brasioli, communication and distribution manager for AG Hotels.
“In general, there seems to be a certain carelessness in leaving negative reviews probably because there’s no risk involved; upon closer inspection, even when it’s proven that the review is false, the customer remains unpunished (except for complicated, lengthy legal cease and desist actions) but the damage to our image, albeit temporary, remains.”
Who will decide whether a review is fake or not isn’t yet clear, but the responsibility of checking content and issuing eventual fines will be given to the anti-trust watchdog Italian Competition Authority (Autorità garante della concorrenza e del mercato).
‘One step ahead of the bad actors’
Travel booking and review site, Tripadvisor, recently released its annual transparency report, which shows that fighting fake reviews is a concern across the board, not just in the Italian tourism sector.
“Tripadvisor continues to tackle fraudulent activity, including fake reviews that are designed to manipulate business listings’ ratings and rankings,” the company wrote in its report.
“Through a combination of advanced technology, human analysis, and community engagement, Tripadvisor successfully safeguarded travellers from 2.7 million fraudulent reviews in 2024.”
Around 9,000 businesses received warnings for engaging in incentivised reviews – where businesses ‘bribe’ customers or ‘reward’ employees for positive ratings – the report added.
360,000 removed reviews were linked to employee incentive programs, where businesses offer rewards to their own staff in exchange for positive feedback.
“With fraudulent review schemes evolving, Tripadvisor has strengthened its fraud detection models and reinforced policies that lead to penalising businesses on our platform, continuing to stay one step ahead of the bad actors,” the company said.
Travel
Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano erupts again, no threat to residents

Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano erupts again, no threat to residents
Lava fountains shoot up during the March 20, 2025 episode in the ongoing eruption of Kilauea. – Copyright United States Geological Survey via AP
Copyright United States Geological Survey via AP
By Euronews with AP
Published on •Updated
Share this article
Copy/paste the article video embed link below:Copied
Kilauea ramped up its surface activity on Tuesday when lava began pouring out of a vent in its caldera.
Lava began bubbling out of Hawaii’s most active volcano once again on Tuesday as Kilauea’s sporadic eruption resumed.
The eruption restarted at midday when when molten rock began pouring out of a vent in Kilauea’s summit, the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said in a statement. The lava was contained within the caldera inside Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and wasn’t affecting any residential areas.
The volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii has been erupting on-and-off since 23 December. It has shot tall fountains of lava high into the air, spilling molten rock across the caldera floor each time it comes back to life.
The spectacle is a popular attraction for tourists.
The current episode is the 15th of the current eruption. The shortest of the previous episodes lasted 13 hours and the longest for eight days; while pauses in between episodes have ranged from 24 hours to 12 days.
Kilauea is one of six active volcanoes in Hawaii, including one submerged underwater. The largest is Mauna Loa, which is also on the Big Island and which erupted in 2022.
Watch the video in the player above to find out more.
Go to accessibility shortcuts
Travel
Croatia’s ‘party island’ is cracking down on noise. Here’s what it means for your summer holiday
There are also several tourist regulations on clothing and behaviour that visitors should be aware of if they don’t want to receive a fine.
Croatia is the latest country to join the Europe-wide pushback against unruly tourists.
The island of Hvar, known as a popular nightlife spot, is now taking steps to curb the antisocial behaviour that comes with its reputation.
In a bid to move away from party tourism, Hvar (the town which shares a name with the island) has voted to maintain noise restrictions for the summer, which will have a significant impact on clubs, discos and outdoor venues.
There are also several tourist regulations on clothing and behaviour that visitors should be aware of if they don’t want to receive a fine.
Hvar is rebranding itself as a family-friendly destination
Last week, Hvar town councillors voted to maintain restrictions during the summer that limit noise to 85 decibels.
Given this is equivalent to a noisy restaurant, it will mean significant changes for the island’s popular outdoor clubs that open during peak season – as well as restaurants that host outdoor weddings.
The decision reportedly received pushback from restaurants, bars and other businesses. It was met with lobbying from the hospitality sector, which proposed instead to bypass noise rules by declaring the entire island a year-round entertainment zone, local news site CroatiaWeek reports.
“I think this is a disaster. We have always supported stricter rules and better monitoring, but now we are going from one extreme to another. This is not the right approach,” Vicko Visković from the hospitality association Dictum Factum told Croatian news site Dnevnik.hr.
But local authorities want to signal a shift towards a more family-friendly and sustainable tourism model.
“In previous years, open-air clubs in Hvar and Split may have encouraged excessive partying among guests and contributed to a ‘party destination’ image in Croatian tourism,” says Darijo Šarić, CEO of luxury villa rental site VIP Holiday Booker.
“However, Croatia has increasingly built a reputation for being a family-friendly destination, offering cultural richness, natural beauty, and a relaxed atmosphere.”
Tourists can be fined up to €700 on the spot for these offences in Croatia
The restrictions come amid a wider push for quality tourism across Croatia that benefits local residents.
In many town centres, including Split and Dubrovnik, you can get on-the-spot fines of up to €700 for behaviour deemed inappropriate. This includes drinking alcohol or using drugs in public spaces, urinating or vomiting in public spaces, and walking through towns shirtless or in swimwear.
You can also be fined up to €4,000 for public order disturbances, including fighting, verbal abuse such as shouting or arguing, and drunken behaviour.
Removing noble pen shells – a critically endangered species that plays a key role in the Mediterranean ecosystem – from Croatia’s beaches comes with a €67 fine per shell.
“These fines are intended more to deter bad behaviour rather than to punish anyone,” Šarić says. “Ultimately, it is about being responsible, ensuring Croatia remains a cherished, safe, and welcoming destination for everyone.”
-
EU & the World6 days ago
Carrie Underwood’s Husband: Everything to Know About Mike Fisher
-
Sports6 days ago
Tegola for Lazio: new injury for Valentin Castellanos
-
Sports6 days ago
Miami: Lucrezia Stefanini misses derby with Jasmine Paolini, Cocciaretto also out
-
Politics6 days ago
European Council conclusions, 20 March 2025
-
EU & the World6 days ago
Lollapalooza Tickets: How Much Do They Cost for the 2025 Festival?
-
EU & the World6 days ago
Are Garth Brooks & Trisha Yearwood Still Married? Marriage Update
-
Politics6 days ago
Statement of the Euro Summit, 20 March 2025
-
Politics6 days ago
Remarks by President António Costa at the press conference following the European Council meeting of 20 March 2025