Ryanair is already making check-in at the counter quite uncomfortable: anyone who prefers to check in with a real person rather than online will pay 55 euros. These seemingly absurd costs will be abolished in 2025. As will Ryanair’s paper boarding passes and check-in counters. The Irish low-cost airline wants to become even more digital in 2025 – and of course, save even more costs.
Ryanair announces massive changes to check-in
Within the next six months, Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary wants to abolish all of the airline’s check-in counters. “We will abolish the ticket counters and then there will be no reason to charge people for checking in at the airport,” O’Leary said at a press conference in Dublin, according to the British news site “Bristol Live”. He added: “We want to abolish airport controls in the same way that we abolished baggage counters. We are working towards everything being done via the app from May 1st and nothing being done on paper.” 60 percent of Ryanair passengers are already using the app. By the time the changeover takes place next year, this figure is to rise to 100 percent. Because: From May, using the app will be mandatory. Anyone who doesn’t have a smartphone or doesn’t want to download yet another app to their smartphone will be left stranded. Or will switch airlines.
With this new step towards digitalization, the CEO of the low-cost airline wants to reduce the need for airport staff and ultimately save costs. This decision is intended to help keep flight prices low.
Check-in without paper
Many passengers still prefer paper boarding passes so that they have something in their hands. For example, in case the smartphone battery runs out and they can no longer access tickets etc. O’Leary also seemed to share these concerns. At the press conference he said: “I hesitated to use the app because I’m afraid of getting on a plane without a piece of paper, but it works so well.” In addition to displaying boarding passes, the app also shows the gate and informs about delays.
But what happens if the smartphone battery really is empty? Or even worse, the phone is perhaps even broken? Apparently not much: “If your battery is empty, we have your seat and your passport and we can take care of that at the gates at the moment,” promises the Ryanair boss. So all that’s left is to get rid of the habit. And maybe also the antipathy to the app.
Further changes planned at Ryanair: Will there soon be an alcohol limit on flights?
In addition to Ryanair check-in, O’Leary also wants to address the excessive alcohol consumption of some passengers. He is calling for a limit of two alcoholic drinks per person at the airport. The reason for this is that the number of disruptive passengers is increasing. He said: “When flights are delayed, people stand in the bars and drink beer.” He believes: “We need to cut back on the amount of alcohol consumed a little.” He would also like to have a drink occasionally, but does not understand why the bars in airports are already open at 7 a.m., while normal pubs only open at 11 or 12 p.m. O’Leary can also imagine a similar restriction on Ryanair flights. In any case, only a few passengers consume two alcoholic drinks during the average short flight times. And anyone who behaves badly will not be served anyway.
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