CELEBRITY STYLE SPY: See all the latest celeb photos

Ryanair scraps check-in desks

By Lucy Halfhead on Thursday 1 October 2009

Print
Share
Comment

Ryanair - Travel News - Marie Claire

Ryanair is scrapping all of its airport check-in desks from Friday 2nd October, forcing passengers to check in for flights online at a cost of £5.

Those who forget to check in on-line face an emergency check in fee of £40 - otherwise they won't be allowed to board. The move is designed to save the airline £50m per year in operating costs.

The no-frills carrier also announced that from today, children under the age of 16 will no longer be able to travel unaccompanied. And passports will be the only accepted forms of photo ID on Ryanair flights. Driving licences will not be accepted.

Justifying the £40 charge imposed on those who forget, an airline spokesman told The Daily Mail: 'Hopefully they will only forget once. The high fee is designed to encourage people to remember, and not to be hit again. Technically the fee is to cover reissuing the ticket.'

Although web check in is open from 21 days to four hours before the scheduled departure time of each flight, check-in desks will no longer be available at any Ryanair airport from October 1st.

Ryanair's Stephen McNamara said: 'This pioneering move will again lower the cost of flying for millions of Ryanair customers. We are confident that all passengers will embrace this improved service which will allow them to forever avoid check-in queues while at the same time it will enable Ryanair to lower our airport and handling costs and pass on these savings to all passengers in the form of even lower air fares next winter.'

Ryanair has long been unashamed to charge for ‘extras', including up to £30 per checked bag, up to £50 for sports equipment or musical instruments, £3 for priority boarding, and £35 to change a flight.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE TRAVEL NEWS

Thursday 1 October 2009

Have your say ...

Add your own comment

It is clear that the move will not reduce the cost of travel for customers, but merely increase the margin achieved by the airline. The additional fees only increase the cost of the original ticket and certainly do not encourage me to fly with the company. Additionally how will this impact the security processes pre-flight? I would think it could only increase the strain on airport security and will reduce the checks on passengers before flying.
Comment by Anonymous on April 23 12:35