Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary has spoken out over the airline’s plans to scrap paper boarding passes
Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary has provided reassurance for passengers concerned about the budget airline’s move to scrap paper boarding passes. From November 3, Ryanair flyers will need to display a digital boarding pass through the airline’s app.
The carrier has said this shift will remove airport check-in fees, cut around 300 tonnes of paper annually, and enable passengers to get direct flight updates. However, some travellers have expressed worries about the practical aspects, fearing their phone battery could die or they might lose their device.
On The Independent’s daily travel podcast, O’Leary discussed some details and explained how the system will work. “The big concern that people have is: ‘What happens if I lose my battery or what if I lose my phone?'” he said.
“If you lose your phone, no issue. As long as you’ve checked in before you got to the airport, we’ll reissue a paper boarding pass at the airport free of charge.” For this to function properly, O’Leary stressed that passengers must have checked in before reaching the airport.
In situations where a phone has run out of power, O’Leary noted that staff will have each traveller’s ‘sequence number’ at the boarding gate. This means you should still be able to board without it, so ‘nobody should worry’.
Despite these fresh regulations, it’s essential to verify the most recent information for your departure airport, as some will still demand physical, printed boarding passes. According to Manchester Evening News, this specifically includes Morocco and Albania, though Albania will accept digital passes from next March.
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At present, Ryanair levies a £20 charge for reissuing boarding passes, but this will be scrapped from November 3. Whilst the carrier is reportedly working to scrap ‘almost all airport check-in fees’, travellers should note that several such charges still apply for now.
This, for example, includes a charge imposed on those who haven’t checked in before reaching the airport. Currently, the charge stands at £55/€55 per passenger for most flights. Nevertheless, passengers departing from Spain must pay £30/€30, and those leaving from Austria will pay £40/€40.
“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,” the airline’s website explains.
“…All passengers flying from a Moroccan airport to any destination or from Tirana to the UK must carry a physical printout of their boarding pass, as a digital boarding pass will not be accepted.”
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