New €40 Ryanair boarding card fine

Victor · 14-05-2009 12:16PM #1

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2009/0513/breaking35.html?via=mr

New €40 Ryanair boarding card fine
PAUL CULLEN, Consumer Affairs Correspondent

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 change applies to all new bookings made after next Wednesday, May 20th, including passengers travelling with infants and checked-in bags.

The airline also says that from next week it will no longer accept bookings for unaccompanied minors (under 16 years old) while all new bookings will require passengers, including infants and those travelling on domestic flights) to hold a valid passport or national identity card.

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.

Ryanair is also imposing a new penalty of €40 for re-issuing a boarding card that has already been printed. It says this is to encourage all passengers to arrive at their airport with the card pre-printed.

“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.”

The airline’s check-in service allows a passenger to check in from 15 day to four hours before a flight. The boarding card can be printed, or re-printed, up to 40 minutes before scheduled departure time.

http://www.ryanair.com/site/EN/news.php?yr=09&month=may&story=gen-en-130509

News Release
13.05.09
Ryanair Moves to Web Check-In Only
ON ALL NEW BOOKINGS
PASSENGERS WITH INFANTS CAN NOW CHECK-IN ONLINE

Ryanair, Europe’s largest low fares airline, today (13 May 09) confirmed that from Wednesday next (20th May) all new passenger bookings, including those travelling with infants and checked in bags, will move to online check-in and ‘bag-drop’ only as Ryanair phases out the use airport of check-in desks from its 146 airports by 1st October next.

From Wednesday Ryanair will no longer accept bookings for unaccompanied minors (under 16 years old) while all new bookings will require passengers (including infants and domestic flight passengers) to hold a valid passport or valid national identity card.
Accordingly, Ryanair will remove its £10/€10 airport check-in fee and introduce a £5/€5 online check-in fee per person, per flight, on new bookings, other than promotional fares (fares of “Free”, “€1” and “€5” will include web check-in on a free of charge basis), while a €40/£40 ‘boarding card re-issue fee’ will be introduced to encourage all passengers to arrive at the airport with their pre-printed web check-in boarding card.

Ryanair’s Stephen McNamara said:

“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. 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’s web check-in service allows passenger to check-in from 15 days to 4 hours before, and print, or re-print, their boarding card up to 40 minutes prior to their scheduled departure time. Web check-in can be accessed via ryanair.com using booking confirmation numbers or flight details”.

Drummerboy2 · 14-05-2009 12:25PM

Think more and more people are starting to stay at home because of the hassle that flying has become. I for one will be holidaying at home here this year for the first year in many years. Just can't be bothered with all the rules and regulations. Total turnoff.

14-05-2009 12:25PM

This post has been deleted.

murphaph · 14-05-2009 12:29PM

I have no problem with online check-in and bag drop (I use it with AerLingus already) but AerLingus has the whole of area 14 to itself with dozens of bag drop belts. Will Ryanair have a massive queue at 2 or 3 bag drop belts to save renting them from DAA?

Ryanair is really trying to force people to fly with hand luggage only but they will eventually learn that people actually do need to bring a decent size bag if going for more than a weekend. I've given up on Ryanair at this stage myself. Too many hoops to jump through. I know I'm not alone in this regard.

Do Ryanair use a fastpass style system at any airport? I know they reckon DAA charges too much rent for the space so won't use them in DUB.

IIMII · 14-05-2009 12:33PM

Is there not a security risk to having baggage checked in without a person identiying themselves?

paulm17781 · 14-05-2009 12:36PM

Are they saying that each check-in now costs 5 extra? Should that not be part of the ticket price?

Like above, I too have given up on them.

Imposter · 14-05-2009 12:43PM

IIMII wrote: »

Is there not a security risk to having baggage checked in without a person identiying themselves?

There's a security risk with everything. I still don't understand why air travel is so special when it comes to security risks yet buses, trains and other forms of transport aren't subject to the same controls.

Africa · 14-05-2009 12:45PM

Its not like they aactually are much cheaper.

Take into account all the hidden charges and such and make you pay for eveyrthing.

Then you have to pay for a bus to get near where your going.
then possibly a taxi.

Glad i gave up on ryanair a long time ago too!

irishgrover · 14-05-2009 12:46PM

paulm17781 wrote: »

Are they saying that each check-in now costs 5 extra? Should that not be part of the ticket price?

Like above, I too have given up on them.

yea, that's what I'm reading from this? It would seem to be bordering on false advertising, if there is an additional charge that is in no way optional. ie, fair enough if you charge €xx for checking in additional bags etc, you have option not to....however charging extra for something that is intrinsically necessary and non optional, such as checking in, seems crazy that this would be legal...however given their past form , it's not really that surprising.

Bluetonic · 14-05-2009 12:48PM

IIMII wrote: »

Is there not a security risk to having baggage checked in without a person identiying themselves?

I guess you don't have understand how the bag drop works, of course you identify yourself with your passport and boarding card when dropping the bag at the desk.

Random · 14-05-2009 12:49PM

40Eur to replace a lost boarding card is fair enough. Just print a few copies!

Charging people a fiver to check in seems a little stupid though. It's hardly an optional thing. How can you charge someone extra for checking in when they have to do it to fly? Unless i've missed something just include it in the bloody ticket price . . . Just tell us you.re raising costs by a fiver!

Victor · 14-05-2009 12:51PM

Imposter wrote: »

There's a security risk with everything. I still don't understand why air travel is so special when it comes to security risks yet buses, trains and other forms of transport aren't subject to the same controls.

The bigger the body count they less we are able to handle the situation. Hence, road deaths (approximately 1.1 deathsper fatal incident) are tolerated much more than public transport or aircraft deaths (typically varies from several to several hundred).

kmick · 14-05-2009 12:51PM

I dont even understand what those mean. It seems to be business as usual unless you forget your boarding print off. and lets face it most airports have a facility to access the internet and print off one of those for a lot less. I never fly with them anyway because they suck on everything apart from price. Thats even taking into account I love getting value for money. with those guys I make an exception.

PDN · 14-05-2009 12:52PM

Random wrote: »

40Eur to replace a lost boarding card is fair enough. Just print a few copies!

Charging people a fiver to check in seems a little stupid though. It's hardly an optional thing. How can you charge someone extra for checking in when they have to do it to fly? Unless i've missed something just include it in the bloody ticket price . . . Just tell us you.re raising costs by a fiver!

It's like charging a credit card fee when the only way you can buy a ticket is by credit card.

Sponge Bob · 14-05-2009 12:55PM

*****

Like a cinema charging an extra €10 on top of an €8 admission because there is an usher in the way .

Victor · 14-05-2009 12:59PM

kmick wrote: »

and lets face it most airports have a facility to access the internet and print off one of those for a lot less.

But you have to check in 4 hours in advance.

KC61 · 14-05-2009 01:06PM

I have to say that it's unclear if the EUR 5 online checkin fee only applies if you have bags to check in or if it applies to all bookings?

Why charge EUR 5 if you have no bags and have hand luggage only? If it does apply to everyone then yes it should be part of the fare, but I suspect it relates only to those that have bags to check in.

The real problem that I would have with it is that for the return flight would I have internet access to check in? That's not always the case. It will depend on how long in advance of the flight one can check in.

Bluetonic · 14-05-2009 01:08PM

PDN wrote: »

It's like charging a credit card fee when the only way you can buy a ticket is by credit card.

Thankfully Ryanair at least give you a number of methods of paying for a ticket.

Victor wrote: »

But you have to check in 4 hours in advance.

Yes but you can do so from 15 days in advance and reprint your boarding card any number of times up to 40 minutes before scheduled departure time.

Monkey61 · 14-05-2009 01:14PM

Bluetonic wrote: »

Thankfully Ryanair at least give you a number of methods of paying for a ticket.

Yes but you can do so from 15 days in advance and reprint your boarding card any number of times up to 40 minutes before scheduled departure time.

Is that 40 minutes a new thing that they are bringing in from May 20th then? Because at the moment it is 4hours. I've been stung a couple of times (admittedly entirely through my own silliness) by just missing the 4 hour deadline for reprinting (even though I had done the online check in days or hours before) and having to pay.

CTU_Agent · 14-05-2009 01:16PM

I chose to check in online and was delighted that I could stroll pass the long queues in departures and head straight for security. However my print off couldnt be read at security. I printed it on A5 paper and apparantly thats too small. Had to go back to the end of the huge queue. :mad:

Worth bearing in mind

Bluetonic · 14-05-2009 01:43PM

Monkey61 wrote: »

Is that 40 minutes a new thing that they are bringing in from May 20th then? Because at the moment it is 4hours. I've been stung a couple of times (admittedly entirely through my own silliness) by just missing the 4 hour deadline for reprinting (even though I had done the online check in days or hours before) and having to pay.

Reprint up to 40 minutes, not sure of the check in cut off time.

I.S.T. · 14-05-2009 02:39PM

Bluetonic wrote: »

I guess you don't have understand how the bag drop works, of course you identify yourself with your passport and boarding card when dropping the bag at the desk.

It's a gimmick in my opinion. If you are checking in bags then the only difference is you are printing your own boarding pass, you still have to go to the check in desk...sorry I mean bag drop desk and show your passpost and have your bags labelled.

Like the other posters I too have given up on Ryanair. Too many hoops to jump through and too difficult to keep on top of all their rules so you don't get caught with additional charges.

Gruffalo · 14-05-2009 02:40PM

kmick wrote: »

I dont even understand what those mean. It seems to be business as usual unless you forget your boarding print off. and lets face it most airports have a facility to access the internet and print off one of those for a lot less. I never fly with them anyway because they suck on everything apart from price. Thats even taking into account I love getting value for money. with those guys I make an exception.

You are missing something very important here. You can only print off the boarding pass up to 4 hours before the flight.

A friend and I got caught out with this recently and it cost us £20 each (I live in the UK). A group of 11 behind us had been caught out with this too. In five minutes they picked up £260 in fines.

I do not understand how it can be legal to stop you acccessing your own boarding pass 4 hours before a flight. I had checked in, just my printer was broken an by the time I got to an internet cafe, I was no longer allowed to access my boarding pass.

Gruffalo · 14-05-2009 02:42PM

Victor wrote: »

But you have to check in 4 hours in advance.

Even having checked in, you cannot go back and access your boarding pass.

ardmacha · 14-05-2009 02:43PM

There is a business opportunity here for someone at the airport to set up a terminal, or a coin operated one permanently logged on to Ryanair site.

Gruffalo · 14-05-2009 02:43PM

Bluetonic wrote: »

Yes but you can do so from 15 days in advance and reprint your boarding card any number of times up to 40 minutes before scheduled departure time.

The system would not allow be to reprint my boarding pass inside 4 hours beforehand. The other 11 people who were fined on the day I travelled, were not allowed to reprint theirs either.

JupiterKid · 14-05-2009 02:46PM

Ryanair are doing their damnedest to make life utterly impossible for the air traveller.

I'm glad I stopped flying them when I saw the way their cabin crew treated an infirm elderly lady. It was just disgusting.:(:mad:

I dearly hope Michael O'Leary's sheer nastiness is the cause of his own downfall. He deserves nothing less.

serfboard · 14-05-2009 02:57PM

Like others, I haven't flown Ryanair in years.

However, sufficient numbers of people demonstrate that they accept this kind of behaviour by continuing to fly with them.

Unfortunately, if you live in the West/Mid-West and you want to go to either Continental Europe or certain cities in the UK, you have to either go to Dublin or Cork (which I do) or put up with it.

Ger the man · 14-05-2009 03:09PM

Stopped flying with them after they insisted my bag was overweight even though it wasnt after I weighed it myself with an industrial calibrated digital scales. Aer Lingus for me

IIMII · 14-05-2009 03:14PM

Bluetonic wrote: »

I guess you don't have understand how the bag drop works, of course you identify yourself with your passport and boarding card when dropping the bag at the desk.

I presumed it was similar to the Aerlingus checkin and was automated. I take it isn't. So how does it work?

whosedaddy? · 14-05-2009 04:14PM

just don't fly with Ryanair anymore...
Money is the ONLY language O'Leary understands.

New €40 Ryanair boarding card fine

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