URGENT Ryanair question

EssexHebridean

[rant mode] Ryanair are a business that are shortly going to be getting themselves a LOT of bad press. They no longer allow the option of airport check in - thus removing for themselves a lot of staff costs - and then charge you for the priviledge of checking on online....add to that the additional charges for paying by ANY means other than a card that practically nobody uses, and overall they are really starting to push the limits. The moment someone gets the wherewithall together to challenge that online check-in fee, the brown smelly stuff is going to hit the fan in a big way I suspect, as there is simply no WAY it can be considered reasonable. It's not a "fee" at all - it's an extra cost on the fare, and one which they should advertise from the start. The fact that they are not, and that you don't become aware of some of the so-called fees until you get to the very tail end of the booking procedure is where they will find themselves in trouble. [/rant mode] Had you guessed I feel quite strongly about this?!

OP - agree wholeheartedly with your sentiments about rather buying new bags than paying them an additional penny!

Pollycat

JayZed wrote: »

the only reason we were going to add hold luggage was because we realised that our small cases aren't within the Ryanair size limits (which are infuriatingly just a little bit smaller than the industry standard, presumably so that they can catch people out).

Actally, Ryanair are the same as similar carriers @ 55x40x20cm.
This includes BMIBaby, Easyjet & Thomson.
Ryanair's hand luggage dimensions are bigger than Flybe (@ 50x35x23cm) and Jet2 (@ 50x38x26cm) and Thomas Cook (@ a measly 43x28x23cm).

fifeken

To the OP. There is no airport check in now, you must check in on line, and you won't be charged for this in your case.

I booked a flight before the cut off point and added a bag after and did not get charged the check in fee - only the bag fee of 20 quid. I wasn't part of a group so that aspect is slightly different, but if you can't check in at the airport you can't pay for it!
I think if you go through the process as if you were doing it, any costs will be shown to you before you confirm payment.

JayZed

Donnie wrote: »

Don't obsess about hearsay. In all the times that I have flown with Ryanair(many times over many years), I have never seen someone stopped in the boarding queue and told to go back to check in or being refused entry on to the aeroplane until they checked in their slightly oversized luggage.

Okay, I'll risk it, but if we end up having to check our bags in, you'll be hearing from me!;)

Donnie

JayZed wrote: »

Okay, I'll risk it, but if we end up having to check our bags in, you'll be hearing from me!;)

That's fine by me, but if I'm right, how much do you donate to charity?

Pollycat

Donnie wrote: »

In all the times that I have flown with Ryanair(many times over many years), I have never seen someone stopped in the boarding queue and told to go back to check in or being refused entry on to the aeroplane until they checked in their slightly oversized luggage.

At East Midlands last year, they were asking people whose bags looked on the large size to put them in the cage that was at the boarding gate.

Nobody was turned back to check in their bags - probably because all the cases did actually fit into the cage.
Who knows what would happen if any of the bags WERE too big?

JayZed

fifeken wrote: »

To the OP. There is no airport check in now, you must check in on line, and you won't be charged for this in your case.

I booked a flight before the cut off point and added a bag after and did not get charged the check in fee - only the bag fee of 20 quid. I wasn't part of a group so that aspect is slightly different, but if you can't check in at the airport you can't pay for it!
I think if you go through the process as if you were doing it, any costs will be shown to you before you confirm payment.

Thanks for your response, ken. My understanding is that there is still airport-check in up until October, they just won't let you make a new booking with airport check-in. But just to confirm what you say, you added a bag after your original booking and you were still able to check in online? Was this for an international flight?

Donnie

Pollycat wrote: »

At East Midlands last year, they were asking people whose bags looked on the large size to put them in the cage that was at the boarding gate.

Nobody was turned back to check in their bags - probably because all the cases did actually fit into the cage.
Who knows what would happen if any of the bags WERE too big?

On the large size?
Interested in how that would work if the bag were a couple of cm over and everyone was boarding. Do they take cash off you at the boarding gate?
Have they a credit card machine at the boarding gate?

fifeken

JayZed,
You're correct - I added a bag and still checked in on-line. Went to the bag drop at the airport (check in with a different name) and that was that. I was surprised when I added the bag that I wasn't charged more for than just the bag cost, but it definitely happened. It was for an international flight.

Edinburghlass_2

Donnie wrote: »

On the large size?
Interested in how that would work if the bag were a couple of cm over and everyone was boarding. Do they take cash off you at the boarding gate?
Have they a credit card machine at the boarding gate?

Just read the email received for my flight for next week and it says they reserve the right to cancel your reservation and deny you boarding if your bag is not correct size or overweight.

I would suggest that you do online booking for all your party but then add one bag to one passenger at the airport?