Ignore Ryanair’s new fee, says consumer group

A LEADING consumers’ group has branded a new €3 fee introduced by Ryanair on passengers wanting to avail of priority boarding and online check-in as “a charge too far”.

The new charge announced by Ryanair yesterday, which will come into effect from November 1, will allow passengers a choice of seating at a cost of €3 per flight. It replaces the existing free service which was only available to passengers with hand luggage.

Controversially, Ryanair will discontinue its normal practice of allowing families with babies and young children to automatically receive priority boarding.

However, the Consumers’ Association of Ireland (CAI) has recommended that Ryanair customers resist the new charge by continuing to use normal check-in facilities at airports.

CAI chief executive, Dermott Jewell, said families with young children would be particularly hit by the additional charges which could add e30 to the cost of a return journey for a family with three children.

“This new charge really places questions over Ryanair’s claims to be a low-cost airline,” said Mr Jewell. “We would encourage consumers to ignore the new charge and continue to avail of services provided by Ryanair employees at check-in desks.”

Mr Jewell said the charge highlighted Ryanair’s attitude of imposing costs on its customers for every possible element of its flights.

He claimed it also emphasised the need to maintain competition in the Irish aviation market — a reference to Ryanair’s controversial attempt to gain a majority stakeholding in Aer Lingus.

Last night, Ryanair defended the new charge claiming it will result in an enhanced service for passengers who want to avail of online check-in and priority boarding.

The €3 fee is likely to generate millions of euro in additional revenue, if not good publicity, for the airline as many air travellers are likely to still want to avail of boarding an aircraft first and choosing their seats.

A Ryanair spokesperson said families and groups who did not want to avail of the new service could still receive priority boarding by arriving early at normal check-in desks.

Meanwhile, the airline has also been forced to alter its terms and conditions to give its passengers a fairer deal as a result of an investigation by the British Office of Fair Trading.