Ryan Air Check In fee

ZannyBD

I am looking for some advice as the way forward to address a complaint against this so called budget airline RyanAir. What I can do after I have complaint and got no positive response from the airline for a refund for check in fees to travel?
I have written to them formally and have been told that's their policy etc but I am not satisfied. An airline should provide it's mere passengers a free check in service at the airport as a common courtesy. What about travellers who are not able to access online facilities or not capable of doing so? This is a disgrace to be honest to be even charge a checkin fee for an infant that has no seat. I ended up paying more for the checkin fees for 5 passengers to Rome than I did in the airline tickets to go!
Please can anyone advice as to what I can do.

eskbanker

They've long since* had a well-publicised charge for checking in at the airport - you may feel that this is unfair and so on, but it's not illegal and is consistent with their conditions of carriage, so you won't get anywhere with a complaint.

* From MSE article over eight years ago:

ALWAYS check in online and print or download your boarding pass, or you could pay £100s (the Ryanair app may help)

You'll pay £60 per person, per flight if you don't check in online and print your own boarding card, or have it on your smartphone ready for the airport. That's £240 for a family of four if you get it wrong.

It's £45 to check in and £15 to print your boarding card — more than the cost of some flights.

https://web.archive.org/web/20161006210012/https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/ryanair-tips/#boardingcard

TheSpectator

"So called budget airline"? Not sure why you call them so called when clearly they are. Play by their T&C's and it won't cost you any extra.

No business has to provide anything as a courtesy. 

NoodleDoodleMan

If it's in their Terms and Conditions I doubt there is anything you can do..........maybe somebody who is more conversant with the Ts&Cs can give a more educated response ?

May I ask why you didn't check in online ?

vacheron

ZannyBD said:

I am looking for some advice as the way forward to address a complaint against this so called budget airline RyanAir. What I can do after I have complaint and got no positive response from the airline for a refund for check in fees to travel?
I have written to them formally and have been told that's their policy etc but I am not satisfied. An airline should provide it's mere passengers a free check in service at the airport as a common courtesy. What about travellers who are not able to access online facilities or not capable of doing so? This is a disgrace to be honest to be even charge a checkin fee for an infant that has no seat. I ended up paying more for the checkin fees for 5 passengers to Rome than I did in the airline tickets to go!
Please can anyone advice as to what I can do.

Ryanair "is" a budget airline not a "so called" one.

Common courtesies, such as paying check in staff to do something that customers are requested to during the booking process, costs money which is not the business model of budget airlines.

If passengers are not able or capable of accessing online facilities, how did they manage to book their ticket in the first place?

When I flew with them for the first time in September, I recieved many explicitly clear messages explaining the importance of checking in online, and the charges if I did not do so.

You can check in 30 days before your flight departs, or 24 hours before if you haven't reserved a seat. Why were you unable to do this?

DullGreyGuy

ZannyBD said:
An airline should provide it's mere passengers a free check in service at the airport as a common courtesy. What about travellers who are not able to access online facilities or not capable of doing so? This is a disgrace to be honest to be even charge a checkin fee for an infant that has no seat. I ended up paying more for the checkin fees for 5 passengers to Rome than I did in the airline tickets to go! 

Please can anyone advice as to what I can do.

It's also a common courtesy to give someone a welcome drink when they board, a nice lounge to sit in whilst you wait to board, something to eat if it's over a mealtime. 

Unfortunately you didnt choose to fly business class with a flag carrier airline but went with a budget airline which means all the niceties are stripped away to save costs. There is no legal requirement for them to offer a free in person checkin and its very clear through the booking process and in the terms you agree to and in the followup emails that if you dont check in online yourself you will have to pay a fee at the airport. 

Differential pricing between online and in person is common across a large range of things not just RyanAir. Ultimately there is a real and material difference in cost to a business for people to self serve online possibly with backup support of a contact centre in a low cost region -v- having large stores with abundant staff in big cities. It's not unreasonable for those customers that generate the need for those extra overheads to be the ones that pay for them. 

If you want nicities, book a different airline and ideally also a higher class. 

Caz3121

from the website 

Can I check in at the airport?

Yes. You can check in for your flight at the airport, but you will have to pay an airport check-in fee per passenger to cover the extra cost of the airport check-in service. Please see our Table of Fees.

Given the number of notifications you receive re checking in online this will have been an expensive error on your part. 
Note if you had checked in online but did not have boarding passes the boarding pass issue fee is £20 per person (less work than full check-in)
If don't have smartphone for app or printer you may also find that paying for seat allocation to allow check-in and print boarding card 60 days before the flight is helpful - so maybe at a friend's house that could help you or internet cafe. Seat allocation has a cost but it will be a lot less than airport checkin.

note Wizz Air also charge for airport checkin. 

Bicycleman22

If you pay the extra for Plus or Flexi Plus it is free to check in at the airport with Ryanair. You really cant complain when you have gone for the cheapest airline with the cheapest possible ticket.

Grumpy_chap

ZannyBD said:

I am looking for some advice as the way forward to address a complaint against this so called budget airline RyanAir. What I can do after I have complaint and got no positive response from the airline for a refund for check in fees to travel?
I have written to them formally and have been told that's their policy etc but I am not satisfied. An airline should provide it's mere passengers a free check in service at the airport as a common courtesy. What about travellers who are not able to access online facilities or not capable of doing so? This is a disgrace to be honest to be even charge a checkin fee for an infant that has no seat. I ended up paying more for the checkin fees for 5 passengers to Rome than I did in the airline tickets to go!
Please can anyone advice as to what I can do.

I just flew with Ryanair for the first time.  The requirements to check in online or pay a large fee was clear from the outset.  It's your choice to not check in ahead of the airport.

bagand96

Various online articles state that it was 2008 or 2009 that Ryanair started charging for airport check in.

They make it fairly clear during their booking process, and also send reminder emails. Some of their optional bundles (luggage etc) include free airport check in.

Unfortunately OP you won't get any refund, you agreed to the T&Cs when you booked.

Newbie_John

You can check in for free at the airport - on your mobile phone 😅

Sadly I don't think you'll get anywhere with no matter how good your complaint is, it's like going to a posh restaurant and after a meal trying to complain that the bill is too high.

All you can do now is to not use their service again.