04 December 2023 , 16:12
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Ryanair has denied reports it has started charging customers a new fee for e-boarding passes.
A small number of passengers with the budget airline claimed they had to fork out up to £21 for a seat booking if they wanted an e-boarding pass, or face having to queue at the airport to get their ticket. However, the airline has slammed the claims as 'false'.
A spokesperson for Ryanair told the Mirror: "These reports are false. There is no charge for a Ryanair digital boarding pass – ever. All Ryanair passengers can pay for a reserved seat if they so wish or if passengers wish to avoid this seat fee, they can select a randomly allocated seat entirely free of charge."
If you are due to fly with Ryanair, it is worth noting that you'll need to check-in online two hours or more before your flight - or you'll face a fee to check-in at the airport. CEO Michael O'Leary has said multiple times that the £65 fee is levied to stop people checking-in in person at the airport, as doing so requires additional staff.
Have you been hit by the new fee? Email [email protected]
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It is not clear if the new policy applies to all customers (AFP via Getty Images)Most airlines require passengers to check-in online and then allow them to download a pass. Customers can usually pick up a printed copy from the airport free of charge, whether from an airline staff member or from a self-service machine.
The airline has gained a reputation in recent years for levying charges on their customers. Unzela Khan recently ended up having to pay £220 to check-in at Luton Airport, based on each of her party being charged £55 each. She told MyLondon that her family had booked a holiday to Naples, Italy, and paid around £200 for the flights.
The family arrived at Luton Airport on November 3 and thought all was well until they got to the front of the check-in desk queue. "We reached the check-in desk, weighed our bags and discussed checking in the baby car seat and pushchair. Then, the Ryanair employee said: 'That'll be £55.' Confused, we asked why and were told it was because we hadn't checked in online."
Despite the family's protests, they were told it would cost £220 for the four of them, although the baby could fly for no extra cost. If they couldn't afford to stump up, they weren't allowed to fly. "Anyway, we begrudgingly had to pay the £220 (which is a whole adult ticket to Italy) while listening to another family next to us going through the same shock and horror," Unzela said.
Ryanair's website states that "You can check in for your flight at the airport, but you will have to pay an airport check-in fee per passenger to cover the extra cost of the airport check-in service." If you fail to check-in online two hours or more before your plane departs, then you will be charged the fee, even if you can do so at the airport.