It is part of the airline’s strategy to phase out the use of check-in desks at its 146 airports by 1 October.
From next Wednesday Ryanair will no longer accept bookings for unaccompanied minors under 16 years old, and all new bookings will require passengers, including infants and those on domestic flights, to hold a valid passport or national identity card.
Passengers can check-in online from 15 days to four hours prior to their flights, and print, or re-print, their boarding card up to 40 minutes before departure time.
Ryanair will axe its £10/€10 airport check-in fee and introduce a £5/€5 online check-in fee per person, per flight, on new bookings.
A €40/£40 re-issue fee will be introduced for passengers who arrive at the airport without their pre-printed web check-in boarding card.
Ryanair spokesman Stephen McNamara said: ‘Passengers travelling without checked-in bags have already embraced our online check-in service and the extension of this service to all passengers, including those with hold luggage and those travelling with infants will allow all passengers to forever avoid check-in queues.
‘This will also allow Ryanair to lower our airport and handling costs.’
Background from e-tid.com:
Ryanair sets deadline for end of airport check-in (12/03/2009)
And see also:
Ryanair sanctions price comparison sites (29/04/2009)
Ryanair adds four Italian bases (02/04/2009)
Ryanair to cut costs by 5% (18/03/2009)