Ryanair have made yet another cost-cutting move which is an industry first – they’re moving to Web Check-In only from October. However, it doesn’t seem clear from their press release whether it will be free or not to check in on the web, or whether a new check in charge will be part of the fare structure from May.
From their press release:
“Ryanair will phase in the introduction of its 100% web check-in as follows:
· Phase 1: From 19th March 2009, Ryanair’s web check-in service will be extended to (a) non EU/EEA citizens, (b) passengers travelling with checked baggage and (c) reduced mobility customers.
Customers choosing web check-in and travelling with only carry-on bags will continue to enjoy this service free of charge. A web check-in fee of £5/€5 per person/per flight will apply to passengers travelling with checked baggage, while customers who wish to use airport check-in will be charged an airport check-in fee of £10/€10 per person/per flight at the time of booking.
· Phase 2: From 1st May 2009 all new bookings will be required to use web check-in, and the use of traditional airport check-in desks will be phased out over the summer months. The web check-in fee of £5/€5 per person, per flight will apply to all new bookings (except promotional fares) from 1st May 2009. In order to dissuade passengers from using airport check-in desks, the fee for airport check-in will double to £20/€20 per person/per flight at the time of booking.
· Phase 3: From 1st October 2009 airport check-in desks will no longer be available at any Ryanair airport. All passengers will be required to web check-in and those who have checked in bags will use the airport “bag drop” desks, if required. From this date, children under the age of 16 will no longer be able to travel unaccompanied and passports and national ID cards will be the only accepted forms of photo ID on Ryanair flights.”
I don’t know about you, but doesn’t this look like they’re going to start charging €5 to check in on the web – whether you have bags or not – from 1st May, adding €10 to a return fare for passengers who might turn up for the flight with no baggage at all?
If this is the case, Ryanair are really taking the piss with this one. I’ve previously always backed Ryanair, and I have huge amounts of respect for Michael O’Leary, but if Ryanair introduce a €5 ‘web check in charge’ per flight for passengers with no baggage, it must surely mean they can no longer have ‘free flights’ or similar promotional offers.
Any thoughts?
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
I just tried to book a flight to Cork today with Ryanair and they are charging £5 web check in fee per person per flight, and the date today is 19/03/2009, not quite May.
I’m not checking in any baggage and it still says it is free to use online checking, but when you go to pay and charge called “web check-in fee” is applied.
There are no details of this fee on their website or on the T and Cs, and when I tried to call the Customer Services the only number I could get charged a £1/min, so I gave up and decided to fly with Aer Lingus. In fairness the prices work out the same, but these hidden charges annoy me so much I feel like I’m being conned if I pay them. I’d much rather the flight was more expensive and there were no hidden charges.
Ryanair is only going to lose business by applying these extra fees.
So what the hell happens if you cannot manage to print off your boarding pass before you go to the airport? If you can’t check in at a desk in the airport can you just not get on the plane?
Maybe they’ll have some computer stations that will print them off for you. However being Ryanair maybe they won’t!
I just hope their plant to make you pay to have a piss does not come into action!
Colly,
I’d say you’ll have to find somewhere in the airport to print it off!
H