Consumer groups have criticised Ryanair's decision to impose a €3 charge on passengers checking in at airports. The Consumers' Association of Ireland called the move extraordinary, given the plethora of charges already in place and the fact that air passengers already have to pay to check in baggage. Paul Cullen,Consumer Affairs Correspondent, reports.
"This is a decision driven by the bottom line and will make millions for the airline," said CAI chief executive Dermot Jewell, who predicted that other airlines would follow suit.
Ryanair said that its aim was to encourage passengers to make more use of its online check-in service, which will be free from next month.
However, this service is restricted to passengers with hand luggage only.
The airline said that the move was aimed at discouraging passengers from checking in bags and adding to queues at its airport desks.
"From September 20th, Ryanair's web check-in service will be entirely free and will enable passengers travelling with hand baggage only to avoid airport check-in and go straight through security, cutting out the queues and overcrowding which are now commonplace at many airports," said Ryanair's Peter Sherrard.
Asked why the airline was imposing a charge for airport check-in in addition to the existing baggage charges, Mr Sherrard replied: "Because we say so."
Only a small proportion of Ryanair's yearly throughput of 40 million customers currently use online check-in and the airline admits that charging for the service acted as a disincentive.
Under the changes, passengers checking in online will also get priority boarding at the departure gate. The priority boarding service, which up to now was available only to those checking in online, will in future be available to all customers.
From next month, priority boarding will be available online, through call centres and in airports, but again at a charge of €3.
"This will make it much easier for passengers, particularly those travelling with families, to purchase our priority boarding service. These new measures will, we believe, encourage more and more passengers to travel without checked-in baggage. People who travel light cost us less and people who book and check in through the internet cost us less," Mr Sherrard said.
He pointed out that Ryanair's hand baggage allowance of 10kg was "generous".
In the UK, the Air Transport Users' Council attacked the move and warned that the strategy of hitting passengers with extra charges had reached its limit. "There is a risk that it could drive certain groups of customers away, such as families who cannot avoid checking in bags even if they are going away for the weekend," it said.