Ryanair Mobile Boarding Pass Practice - discriminatory?

gzckrg

Hi,

Ryanair has an option of mobile boarding pass instead of printing but this is only valid for EU citizens. Non-EU citizens can't have mobile boarding pass and needs to print their boarding pass in advance (or pay 20 euro/gbp at check-in).

Do you think this practice is discriminatory based on nationality and lawful? I don't see any valid reason not to offer this service to non-EU customers.

US2

No.

RiseToMe

gzckrg wrote: »

Hi,

Ryanair has an option of mobile boarding pass instead of printing but this is only valid for EU citizens. Non-EU citizens can't have mobile boarding pass and needs to print their boarding pass in advance (or pay 20 euro/gbp at check-in).

Do you think this practice is discriminatory based on nationality and lawful? I don't see any valid reason not to offer this service to non-EU customers.

I'd imagine it's to do with visa requirements as the boarding pass will display the need for a visa whereas the mobile one won't

gzckrg

RiseToMe wrote: »

I'd imagine it's to do with visa requirements as the boarding pass will display the need for a visa whereas the mobile one won't

You can put same information to mobile pass as well. There is no other airline as far as I know that does that so I don't think that's a good reason.

I wonder if there is someone with relevant legal background who can enlighten us

Phileas Frog

gzckrg wrote: »

Hi,

Ryanair has an option of mobile boarding pass instead of printing but this is only valid for EU citizens. Non-EU citizens can't have mobile boarding pass and needs to print their boarding pass in advance (or pay 20 euro/gbp at check-in).

Do you think this practice is discriminatory based on nationality and lawful? I don't see any valid reason not to offer this service to non-EU customers.

Non EU citizens need to have their visa checked and their boarding pass stamped as evidence. I'd like to see you stamping a phone.

CIARAN_BOYLE

gzckrg wrote: »

You can put same information to mobile pass as well. There is no other airline as far as I know that does that so I don't think that's a good reason.

I wonder if there is someone with relevant legal background who can enlighten us

Natonality is not a ground you can claim discrimination based on.

RiseToMe

gzckrg wrote: »

You can put same information to mobile pass as well. There is no other airline as far as I know that does that so I don't think that's a good reason.

I wonder if there is someone with relevant legal background who can enlighten us

As per the poster above clarifed, they need to stamp the boarding pass. You cannot do this with a phone. No great conspiracy here.

coylemj

Never mind discrimination against non-EU citizens. Even within the EU, there is discrimination.

If I'm flying from a Schengen country to Ireland, I have to queue up and show my passport when heading to my departure gate whereas a person flying to another Schengen country does not, they go down a different corridor to the Schengan departure gates and there is no passport check.

Where do I file a discrimination suit?

Thingymebob

As OP points out, it’s possible to link the same information to a mobile boarding pass - it’s linked to the booking reference and passport details. Aer Lingus don’t require a paper ticket for non EU nationals to travel to/from the Schengen region. I’m non EU, flew to Budapest three weeks ago on Ryanair, needed a paper ticket and to queue at the check in desk for a stamp at Dublin airport. Last week I flew Aer Lingus from Dublin Airport, no paper ticket required.

Hoboo

coylemj wrote: »

Never mind discrimination against non-EU citizens. Even within the EU, there is discrimination.

If I'm flying from a Schengen country to Ireland, I have to queue up and show my passport when heading to my departure gate whereas a person flying to another Schengen country does not, they go down a different corridor to the Schengan departure gates and there is no passport check.

Where do I file a discrimination suit?

In the bin.

TheChizler

CIARAN_BOYLE wrote: »

Natonality is not a ground you can claim discrimination based on.

Technically it falls under the race category and has protected status,doesn't it?

I'd be interested in hearing the reasoning behind this as well, from a legal standpoint. I don't think the OP is planning on kicking up a fuss or suing anyone over this.

VG31

gzckrg wrote: »

Ryanair has an option of mobile boarding pass instead of printing but this is only valid for EU citizens. Non-EU citizens can't have mobile boarding pass and needs to print their boarding pass in advance (or pay 20 euro/gbp at check-in).

I see a fair amount of people with airport printed Ryanair boarding passes. Are they really all paying €20?

Peregrinus

CIARAN_BOYLE wrote: »

Natonality is not a ground you can claim discrimination based on.

Yes, it is: Equal Status Act 2000, s. 3(2)(h).

Furasta

coylemj wrote: »

Never mind discrimination against non-EU citizens. Even within the EU, there is discrimination.

If I'm flying from a Schengen country to Ireland, I have to queue up and show my passport when heading to my departure gate whereas a person flying to another Schengen country does not, they go down a different corridor to the Schengan departure gates and there is no passport check.

Where do I file a discrimination suit?

Probably its because Ireland isn't in Schengen

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schengen_Area

Peregrinus

coylemj wrote: »

Never mind discrimination against non-EU citizens. Even within the EU, there is discrimination.

If I'm flying from a Schengen country to Ireland, I have to queue up and show my passport when heading to my departure gate whereas a person flying to another Schengen country does not, they go down a different corridor to the Schengan departure gates and there is no passport check.

Where do I file a discrimination suit?

Not unlawful discrimination, since everybody flying from Schengenland to Ireland has to queue up and show their passport; you can't point to other passengers on the plane who don't have to do this when you do. Conversely, when flying with Schengenland, nobody has to do this. So, both times, everybody is being treated the same way; there's no discrimination.

There is, of course, discrimination between those flying out of Schengenland , who have to show passports, and those flying within, who don't. But (a) that's discrimination based on what journey you are making, and "what journey you are making" is not a protected ground in the way that gender, nationality, sexual orientation, etc is and (b) even if it were a prohibited ground, the difference of treatment is required by law, which is always an exception to equal treatment requirements.

WB Yokes

VG31 wrote: »

I see a fair amount of people with airport printed Ryanair boarding passes. Are they really all paying €20?

Nope... travelled recently with a big group. Most of them had their boarding passes printed by Ryanair in the airport. There was no charge.

coylemj

Furasta wrote: »

Probably its because Ireland isn't in Schengen

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schengen_Area

Hoboo wrote: »

In the bin.

Irony is dead

ezra_

WB Yokes wrote: »

Nope... travelled recently with a big group. Most of them had their boarding passes printed by Ryanair in the airport. There was no charge.

You can also print your own boarding pass, irrespective of whether either you or your printer are in EU, for free.

Peregrinus

ezra_ wrote: »

You can also print your own boarding pass, irrespective of whether either you or your printer are in EU, for free.

Although, if you're travelling, you may not have your printer with you. And quite a lot of people who check in for a flight do so because they are travelling.

RiseToMe

Peregrinus wrote: »

Although, if you're travelling, you may not have your printer with you. And quite a lot of people who check in for a flight do so because they are travelling.

Hotels happily print items that you need, sometimes they have business centres where you can do it yourself and most cities still have an Internet cafe that can be used. Lastly, I have yet to find an airport that doesn't have a pay by use computer with a printer attached.

ezra_

#TooPoshToPrint

gzckrg

I was more thinking about the service point. Yes, airline does have to check visas if a person is non-eu. But Ryanair links checking visas with paper boarding pass and denying mobile boarding pass. Some people (eu citizens) can use mobile boarding pass, whereas some (non-eu) can't.

"Just print it free at home" attitude is not an answer to my question or adds anything to discussion.

And I'm sorry but I have to say that associating this with passport checking in/out schengen area is unrelated. They have to check it and it's done by passport police and/or airline. And it's a legal requirement and it's done to everyone flying with the same flight. Whereas having a "paper boarding pass" is not a legal requirement.

gzckrg

VG31 wrote: »

I see a fair amount of people with airport printed Ryanair boarding passes. Are they really all paying €20?

Some higher fare tickets include free checkin/boarding pass in the airport. Probably that's the reason.

gzckrg

Phileas Frog wrote: »

Non EU citizens need to have their visa checked and their boarding pass stamped as evidence. I'd like to see you stamping a phone.

No you are wrong. There is no legal requirement of stamping the boarding pass. It's just Ryanair being lazy and not training their people properly.

Batgurl

It’s fairly simple: this isn’t discriminatory.

It’s a Ryanair policy which allows them to speed up their boarding process and prevent fines for carrying passengers without the correct visa.

The check in agent checks the customer has a visa. Stamps the boarding pass. Therefore the gate agent knows the customer has a visa and can speed up the boarding. EU passport holders have assumed right of entry so no visa needs checking.

There is no discrimination as airlines have to do due diligence. Before mobile phones, everyone had to find a printer to print so trying to class it now as a discriminatory method, especially when it is still the default method for people who don’t have phones, just won’t cut it.

Victor

CIARAN_BOYLE wrote: »

Natonality is not a ground you can claim discrimination based on.

It is. Discrimination on the grounds of race includes on the basis of nationality.