Ryanair and Baby Pushchair Query

SuperMum2008

Have booked flights for Ryanair in a month, and booked for online checkin, having decided to fly with little or no luggage! however, on reflection think we will take baby's fold up pushchair with us. Anyone know what we do now - do we need to check it in as a piece of luggage or can we just take it with us as the site says we can take a buggy free. And if we do have to check it in, does that mean we will have to pay to check in for all of us? The site is really unclear about how this works...am going to write a letter to Mr Ryanair methinks..though it will probably be filed with all the rest!

jammin_2

Are you traveling with a child?

There is no checked/hand baggage allowance for infants. However, one fully collapsible pushchair per child may be carried free of charge.

http://www.ryanair.com/site/IE/conditions.php

Seems clear enough to me.

lynnexxxo

I'm assuming the child is over two as they don't allow inants to check in online so you would have had to pay for that.

I don't think its particularly clear if you can check in the buggy free or if you can check in the buggy free but you have to pay the check in charge.
However given ryanair will charge you for anything, I'd assume the later.

I'd also be interested if anyone could clarify...

jammin_2

Clarification:

one fully collapsible pushchair per child may be carried free of charge.

http://www.ryanair.com/site/IE/conditions.php

You don't check it in, you push your child in it right up until you board the plane. Then the ground staff put it in the hold for you. Depending on where you land, it's either waiting for you as you disembark the aircraft, or on the belt.

SuperMum2008

Thanks all - should have clarified, child is 2 1/2 so yes, we have paid for a seat but selected online checkin. I suppose my query is, can we just wheel the pushchair up without it having been tagged at oversized baggage, or would we need to queue and pay for checkin just to get the buggy tagged? And in that case, do we all pay to checkin as we are all travellng together (5 of us). Sorry jammin, but I dont think it is clear at all. I know we get to take the buggy without paying for it as a piece of luggage, but it isnt clear how we get it to the plane when we have online checked in.

benjus

The extracts posted by jammin from the T&C apply to infants (i.e. under 2 years), not children. As far as I can see the Ryanair website does not state the policy for carrying pushchairs for non-infants anywhere.

You might want to call them to confirm - see my response to an earlier thread on how to call them without paying for a premium rate call (http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=17921341&postcount=3)

I don't know what would happen if you just turn up at the aircraft with a pushchair - they may just accept it or they may check to see if you have booked an infant ticket.

There was a previous thread related to this: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?p=11788465

jammin_2

benjus wrote: »

The extracts posted by jammin from the T&C apply to infants (i.e. under 2 years), not children. As far as I can see the Ryanair website does not state the policy for carrying pushchairs for non-infants anywhere.

one fully collapsible pushchair per child may be carried free of charge.

http://www.ryanair.com/site/IE/conditions.php


Where's the confusion?

benjus

Well, if you look at it in context, it implies that the whole paragraph is talking about infants:

There is no checked/hand baggage allowance for infants. However, one fully collapsible pushchair per child may be carried free of charge. Additional infant equipment such as car/booster seats and travel cots may be carried in addition to your personal checked baggage allowance. Infant equipment (car/booster seats and travel cots) booked online is charged at the rate of £9.50/€10 per item/per one way flight or at the airport or through a Ryanair call centre, the standard rate of £19/€20 per item/per one way flight will apply.

This is also explicitly linked to infants in the following FAQ:

http://www.ryanair.com/site/EN/faqs.php?sect=chd&quest=infantequipment

I understand your point that they have used the word "child" in the T&C - however, its use in a paragraph discussing infants is IMO ambiguous and any confusion is justified.

It would be nice if Ryanair would clarify their T&C, but in the meantime I guess it's up to the OP whether they would prefer to discuss it with Ryanair or risk getting into an argument over interpretation of the T&C in the airport.

jammin_2

Point taken Ben.

elfboots

Hello, we've done this a few times with Ryanair free flights so don't worry - you don't have to pay to check in for any of you. We took the buggy and booked the little one as a child not an infant even before he was 2, as it worked out cheaper. They never queried his age or having the pushchair, they just take it off you when you get on the plane. Don't panic you will be fine! We did 10 days in Spain last year and managed with 3 kids, buggy, small cases and online check-in... I love Ryanair!

SuperMum2008

elfboots wrote: »

Hello, we've done this a few times with Ryanair free flights so don't worry - you don't have to pay to check in for any of you. We took the buggy and booked the little one as a child not an infant even before he was 2, as it worked out cheaper. They never queried his age or having the pushchair, they just take it off you when you get on the plane. Don't panic you will be fine! We did 10 days in Spain last year and managed with 3 kids, buggy, small cases and online check-in... I love Ryanair!

Thankyou elfboots - just what I wanted to hear!