Low-cost carrier
Ryanair has confirmed it will close all of its airport check-in desks this
October, and during the phasing out period passengers will be charged up to £20
per person per flight to check in at the airport.
Ryanair says it
will phase out its airport check-in desks by October 1, with the first move
being to extend its web check-in facilities to non-EU/EEA citizens, those with
checked luggage, and reduced mobility customers from March 19.
At this stage the
web check-in service will remain free to passengers travelling with hand
luggage only. Those with checked luggage will be charged £5 per person per
flight to check-in online, on top of the fees for each piece of luggage. Those
still wishing to check in at the airport will be charged £10 per person per
flight.
From May 1 this airport
check-in fee rises to an eye-watering £20 per person per flight (equating to
£160 for a family of four taking a return trip with the carrier), in order to “dissuade”
passengers from using the desks. In addition all passengers checking in online
will be charged £5 per person per flight, regardless of whether they have
checked luggage. This fee will not apply to promotional fares.
Ryanair says it
will then close all of its check-in desks from October 1, requiring all
passengers to check in online. This also requires passengers to print off their
boarding pass before arriving at the airport – asked what would happen if a
customer were to unable to access a printer, a spokesperson said that they
would be able to visit the Ryanair tickting office at the airport to have this
printed off. However they added that the system would show if the passenger had
attempted to print off their pass, and anyone visiting the ticket office who
had not gone through this process would face a “steep charge”.
The self-service
check-in kiosks introduced at Stansted last year (see online news September 9,
2008), will also cease to be used for checking in after October 1, and will
become “an extension of the ticketing desk” for those passengers with excess
baggage and other charges to pay.
Ryanair says that its web check-in service is currently used by up to 75 per cent of passengers. It adds that the move to 100 per cent web check-in the
move will “avoid time wasting queues and delays at airport check-in desks”, but
of course those with checked luggage will still need to queue at airport bag
drop desks.
For more
information visit ryanair.co.uk.
Report by Mark Caswell
