ALL RYANAIR passengers will soon have to check in for flights online before arriving at the airport as the airline moves to phase out the use of check-in desks.
The airline has also introduced a new €40 penalty for reissuing a boarding card that has already been printed. It says the fine is being imposed to encourage passengers to arrive at the airport with their card pre-printed.
The charge applies to all new bookings made after next Wednesday, May 20th, including passengers travelling with infants and checked-in bags.
The airline has announced that from next week it will no longer accept bookings for unaccompanied minors (under 16 years). All new bookings will require passengers, including infants and those on domestic flights, to hold a valid passport or national identity card. Up to now, passengers on domestic flights have been able to show a driving licence at check-in.
The existing €10 airport check-in fee is being replaced by a €5 fee per person, per flight, on new bookings, except for promotional fares. Free fares and fares costing €1 or €5 will include the check-in fee in the cost.
“Passengers travelling without checked in bags have already embraced our online check-in service, and the extension of this service to all passengers, including those with hold luggage and those travelling with infants, will allow all passengers to forever avoid check-in queues,” a spokesman said. “This will also allow Ryanair to lower our airport and handling costs and pass these savings to all passengers in the form of even lower air fares next winter.”
Ryanair check-in allows a passenger to check in from 15 days to four hours before a flight. The boarding card can be printed, or reprinted, up to 40 minutes before scheduled departure time.
The spokesman said Ryanair did not believe the move online would adversely affect customers, even those unfamiliar with computers. Over 99 per cent of bookings are made online, he said.
