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Ryanair wants airport check in online

[January 25, 2008]

Low cost airline Ryanair is increasing its airport check in and checked in baggage fees to encourage more passengers to check in online and avoid airport queues.

Fees for checked in baggage have increased from £5 to £6 per bag, and the airport check in fee has gone up from £2 to £3. Ryanair has justified the increases by saying it wants more passengers to check in free of charge online, and to travel only with hand luggage weighing up to 10kg.

“Ryanair remains determined to encourage more and more passengers to travel with carry on luggage only, which allows them to use our free of charge web check in, skip airport queues and enjoy our priority boarding service free of charge,” says Ryanair spokesman, Peter Sherrard.

The low fares airline claims it has seen “huge increases” in the number of passengers using the free online check in since it was introduced in September. “These increased charges will incentivise even more passengers to use our free web check in service allowing us to cut airport and handling costs and further reduce our guaranteed lowest fares as we grow from 50 million to 60 million passengers in the coming year,” says Sherrard.

Ryanair is warning that it will continue to increase airport check in and checked in baggage fees until it reaches its target of 50% of all customers travelling with hand baggage only and checking in online to avoid airport queues.

“This will in turn allow us to reduce the number of airport check in desks that we rent and the handling staff we employ so that we can continue to pass on these savings in the form of Europe’s guaranteed lowest fares,” adds Sherrard.

Written by: Nick Purdom

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