Business
Budget carrier Ryanair denies charging for digital boarding passes
By Jake Beardslee · December 4, 2023
In brief…
- Ryanair denied reports it was charging for mobile boarding passes, says they are always free
- Airline does charge fees for other services like seat selection, check-in, baggage
- Ryanair flew over 66K flights and 11.7 million customers last month
- Over 134 million passengers so far this fiscal year
- Carried about 168.5 million passengers last fiscal year
Budget airline Ryanair has denied reports that it was forcing travelers to pay money to select a seat in order to obtain a mobile boarding pass. “This is false. There is no charge for a Ryanair digital boarding pass — ever,” a Ryanair spokesperson told FOX Business. “All Ryanair passengers can pay for a reserved seat if they wish or if passengers wish to avoid this seat fee, they can select a randomly allocated seat entirely free of charge.”
Some social media users had criticized Ryanair over the weekend, sharing screen grabs that made it seem like the airline’s app was requiring payment to “get your boarding pass now and avoid queuing at the airport,” according to FOX.
Ryanair’s seating policy gives customers the option to purchase reserved seats or receive free, randomly assigned seats when checking in 24-48 hours before departure. Fees for choosing seats in advance vary based on seat type and time of booking.
The Ireland-based carrier assured that checked-in passengers can access their boarding passes through Ryanair’s website or app at any time. Still, Ryanair does charge fees for certain services like airport check-in, printed boarding passes, and checked baggage.
Ryanair flew over 66,000 flights and 11.7 million customers last month. In the 2024 fiscal year so far, it has served 134.2 million passengers. About 168.5 million people flew Ryanair last fiscal year.