Ryanair hikes charges again
Tuesday, 29 Apr 2008 11:14
Ryanair's extra charges are set to climb again from May 5th, with the fee for checking in baggage rising from €9 to €10 (£7 to £7.80) and airport check-in charges going up from €4 to €5 (£3.10 to £3.90).
The budget airline has been heavily criticised for the level of extra charges not included in its advertised fares.
Announcing the fee increases, Ryanair's Peter Sherrard said: "We will continue to increase baggage fees until half of our passengers check-in online, which will allow us to reduce check-in and handling costs."
To avoid these charges, passengers must travel with hand luggage weighing less than 10kg and check in online.
However, unlike other airlines, Ryanair does not allow holders of non-EU passports to check in online. These passengers have no choice but to pay the extra €5.
Other travellers have complained that there is inadequate warning of the £6 fee for using a credit card to pay for flights until after the payment has been confirmed and the flight booked.
Earlier this month the Office of Fair Trading announced it will investigate the budget airline after the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) accused Ryanair of repeatedly breaching advertising guidelines.
According to the ASA Ryanair has "persistently" misled consumers by making exaggerated claims about the amount of flights available at the advertised prices and publicising prices that were not inclusive of taxes and charges.