8582 Ryanair - online check in and priority boarding

Hello

I've just tried to book return flights to Ancona in April. I only ever take hand luggage and so qualify for free online check in and priority boarding. Although when I return I have to check in at the airport they give me a priority slip. However, now it won't let me buy return flights with online check in. I have to opt for airport check in BOTH ways, which means I also have to pay for the priority boarding. This is an additional £8 per person per return flight I think.

I tried booking two one way flights but the saving of only having to pay one way is swallowed up by the hideous exchange rate for the return flight. Has anyone else had this problem. It seems so unfair they are now charging us to check in at the airport, and priority boarding when we qualify for online check in and would rather do that anyway!

Has anyone contacted Ryanair about this?

Thanks!

Category
Travel & Holiday Advice

Hi

I had the same thing when I flew to Ancona from Stansted recently. I booked 2 single journeys, so I could at least do an online check in from Stansted, but overall I ended up saving very little by booking 2 single flights. I also paid for my flight from Stan - Ancona by switch, again trying to save myself a bit of money on the fee rather than using my credit card, but I forgot that I couldn't use my switch card on the Ancona - Stan flight that I booked and had to use my credit card and pay the fee. I think we saved £2 in total. Still.... better in my pocket!

The problem has arisen due to Ancona airport not being geared up to process online checkin boarding passes. To get round the currency charges I use my British card for the out going flight and my Italian credit card for the return journey.

do I understand correctly that now, if you fly with hand baggage only and do the online check in you are automatically given priority boarding gratis?

This is the link you need I think
passengers from Italy...
[url=http://www.ryanair.com/site/EN/faqs.php?sect=chk&quest=children]Ryanair.com - Book your cheap flight, hotels, car rental with ryanair.com[/url]

Yes if you check in online you get priority boarding but you need to make sure you are aware of times though because at Rome they just had a free for all. I barged to the front (with embarrassed family trailing behind me) as I had paid for priority & only when I hassled one of the gate staff & asked about priority boarding did they do anything (lots of other priority boarders then followed me but there were at least 20 non-priority people who got on before us)

Chris

I used on line checkin/priority board from Pisa for the first time last week. To my amazement, when I got to the gate desk she took my on line paper from me and gave me a normal boarding pass as they cannot scan in the on line yet. In the UK we are scanned before security so they obviously do not have the technology to scan on line passes yet - so I am surpried they haven't charged us for the boarding cards. Perhaps I shouldn't say that as the Ryanair spies might be reading this?? :masked:

If you check with Ryanair you will see that Pisa is one of the several Italian airports that allows online checkin. At Ancona airport they have two seperate queues and priorty boarders get loaded on to a bus and taken the short distance to the aircraft and if you get off the bus quick enough you will beat the non prority boarders who have walked / run to the plane.

If you have kids it's not the "being exposed to grubby people in macs" but the fact that if they need a drink or to go to the toilet etc they probably need a parent or at least someone they know (certainly mine at 6 & terrified of airline toilets does). I wouldn't want someone else to be exposed to her moaning (nor would I want to have to entertain someone else's child). I'm afraid it is also a fact of life that there are dodgy people about & just because they look respectable it doesn't mean that they are.

It's so annoying. We are encouraged to opt for the on-line check-in and yet when I try to do this, we are told it is not available 'for security reasons' (hollow laughs up sleeve) and so we must pay £4 each for the 'privilege' of checking in at Stansted. Yet, there are passengers with on-line check-in cards so where do they get them from? Is Stansted the problem?
Annie.

On second thoughts, it may be that they are waving priority booking cards and not on-line cards. I'm still annoyed though. What are these so-called security reasons given remarks in previous posts above?

[quote=jepsonclough;80562]If you have kids it's not the "being exposed to grubby people in macs" but the fact that if they need a drink or to go to the toilet etc they probably need a parent or at least someone they know (certainly mine at 6 & terrified of airline toilets does). I wouldn't want someone else to be exposed to her moaning (nor would I want to have to entertain someone else's child). I'm afraid it is also a fact of life that there are dodgy people about & just because they look respectable it doesn't mean that they are.[/quote]

Please remember however that kids cannot sit on their own. I think it is under 14s must sit with a responsible adult travelling with them in case of an emergency. This is NOT a Ryanair rule but a rule of the skies!! I was on a flight where the parents sat on one row and the two kids sat on the row behind. The staff made them move - one parent with each child. I suppose therefore that one parent could not travel with four underage children.

If you read my previous posts you will see the problem is at Ancona who do not have online checkin. I now book oneway flights at least you beat the check in queue at Stansted and can check in on line.

[quote=Rod Cattini;81121]If you read my previous posts you will see the problem is at Ancona who do not have online checkin. I now book oneway flights at least you beat the check in queue at Stansted and can check in on line.[/quote]

Thanks Rod. I did read your previous post but it seems incredible that Ancona, which has a brand spanking new Arrivals building, does not have this facility. I suppose I'm cynical about anything that gives Ryanair an excuse to charge more. So, you buy 2 single flights, each way, on line at the same time? I'll try it now!
Annie.

With all the extra charges made by budget airlines it must soon be cheaper and certainly less hassle with BA or Alitalia (never thought I 'd ever say that after benefiting from early days of lowcost airlines)

Hi
I often find that Meridiana Florence to Gatwick is cheaper than ryanair etc. They also give the price you actually pay on the first page.

Florence is a great little airport, so easy to get to and easy to use.