Air travel for Government Departments and Offices is purchased under a contract for Travel Management Services awarded by the National Procurement Service to Carlson Wagonlit Travel (Ireland) Ltd. (CWT) following an open tender process. The service to be provided under this contract includes sourcing the most competitive rates for foreign travel for civil servants and members of the Oireachtas travelling abroad on official business.
Ahead of Ireland’s 2013 EU Presidency, Ryanair contacted the Government with a fixed-fare offer for travel on the Dublin-Brussels South Charleroi route (Brussels South Charleroi Airport is located approximately 45 km from Brussels). Following discussion between Ryanair, CWT and the National Procurement Service, agreement was reached on a fixed one-way fare of €49.99 for travel between Dublin and Brussels South Charleroi for the duration of Ireland’s EU Presidency. The fare included government taxes and charges, but did not include fees for baggage or for extras such as reserved seating or priority boarding. This fare was subject to a 2% credit card fee. It could be booked either online or by telephone, with a €6 administration fee per person per sector for bookings made by telephone. The agreement also allowed for one change to be made to a booked ticket to an alternative flight of the passenger’s choice on the same route. Ryanair also committed to providing an Assistance Desk at both of the airports concerned for any assistance required by travellers availing of this fare. The agreement applied only to the Dublin - Brussels South Charleroi route. This special fare was available to all officials and Oireachtas members travelling to Brussels on official business during Ireland’s EU Presidency. Other options available to travellers to Brussels are the Aer Lingus service between Dublin and Brussels Airport and the standard fares available from Ryanair. In planning journeys, travellers would take account of the suitability of flight times, having regard to the timing and duration of the relevant meetings in Brussels. A further factor to be considered by Departments/Offices in choosing flights is the ground transport links from the particular airport regarding access and cost. For those officials whose work/meetings schedule allowed them to use this route, the Ryanair offer provided value for money. As a result of Ryanair's offers, significant reductions were achieved in the average cost of flights to Brussels when compared with the same period in 2012.
