Ryanair was undoubtedly the winner of its row over commissions with the Irish travel agents, after the Competition Authority quickly stepped in and called foul on the agents' boycott of Ryanair.

But even at his most combative, Ryanair's Michael O'Leary might have something to learn about tactics from Stelios Haji-Ioannou, Greek-born chairman of British no-frills airline easyJet who has gone to war with travel agents in Greece for the very same reason.

Ioannou has ended up in court in Athens accused of "commercial hooliganism" by the travel agents associations after he took out advertisements in the Green press urging travellers to "forget your travel agent". The easyJet boss is already in the courts in London accusing British Airway's no-frills subsidiary Go of unfair competition and, in effect, being subsidised by its well-heeled parent. With the continuation of one of the dullest summer on record the commercial hooliganism with which Ioannou is being accused will no doubt meet with the approval of all those seeking a late booking to sunny Greece. And, as they slap on the factor 25 they can ponder the wonders of competition law which got them to Greece so cheaply in the first place.