Ryanair's child discount for Easter holidays

Video: Ryanair has gone one better than the Chancellor's Autumn Statement

Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary. (JERRY LAMPEN | AFP | Getty Images)

After the Chancellor announced a tax break for family holidays, ending Air Passenger Duty
for children under 12 travelling in economy from 1 May 2015, Ryanair has gone one better.

The low-cost airline is seeking to entice families to travel with it over the Easter holidays by applying the £13 discount from the start of the airline’s summer season, on 27 March.

The airline says that the refund will happen automatically when the children are checked in online for flights departing from UK airports between 27 March and 30 April.

For flights after that date, fares will be adjusted on the Ryanair website - but only when the Budget has been passed into law. For bookings made before then, the retrospective discount will apply.

Ryanair's chief executive, Michael O'Leary, told Simon Calder of The Independent that the plan will benefit around 150,000 children - and their parents.

In a separate move, Ryanair has announced the launch of flights from Stansted to Ponta Delgada in the Azores, in direct competition against the archipelago’s own airline, Sata.

On Saturdays from 4 April, the Irish airline will be up against Sata from Gatwick.