Ryanair's E40 boarding pass reprinting fee ruled illegal in Spain
#1
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Ryanair's E40 boarding pass reprinting fee ruled illegal in Spain
http://edition.cnn.com/2011/TRAVEL/0...ex.html?hpt=T2
And later on:
Ryanair, the Irish airline famous for its low fares and an extensive menu of fees, is vowing to fight a court ruling that calls one of its extra charges "abusive."
A judge in Barcelona, Spain, ruled that the carrier's 40 euro (about $54) boarding card reissue fee is illegal. Passengers must pay it if they arrive for their flight without a pre-printed boarding pass.
A judge in Barcelona, Spain, ruled that the carrier's 40 euro (about $54) boarding card reissue fee is illegal. Passengers must pay it if they arrive for their flight without a pre-printed boarding pass.
If the decision is not reversed, Ryanair vowed to get rid of the charge altogether, warning that passengers who arrived at the airport without their pre-printed boarding passes would simply not be able to go through security or board their plane.
#2
Join Date: Oct 2001
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#3
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Join Date: Oct 2006
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What a bunch of thieves.
They know that a lot of their clientele gets "completely pissed", as they call it, the night before heading back to the UK, and try to hose them for it.
They know that a lot of their clientele gets "completely pissed", as they call it, the night before heading back to the UK, and try to hose them for it.
#4
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: USA
Posts: 111
The charge is another reason I will not use them the next time I wish to visit other destinations once in Europe.
I would have no way to print the boarding pass at some hotels as not all have business centers or an internet cafe nearby.
I would have no way to print the boarding pass at some hotels as not all have business centers or an internet cafe nearby.
#8
Join Date: Nov 2006
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Neil
#10
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 3,604
Basically this is them being hamstrung by the way traditional airlines have run things. Boarding passes are irrelevant to the way Ryanair works. Their tickets/boarding passes are like bus tickets. You buy one and then you use it to get on the plane. The whole "check in" thing is a holdover from a different business model.
All part of the European model of "innovation by permission".
#12
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,114
I don't get why everyone gets so angry with Ryanair. They never ever hide any of their fees and are very very clear during the booking process about what you must pay for, if you want it. They also make it very clear you must print and bring your own boarding pass before you hit pay. Then everyone questions why so many people fly with them - they must be doing something right being the 7th ranked airline in the world in terms of number of passengers flown at over 70 million passengers.
US airlines are hardly any better - "full service" airlines suddenly charging for things that used to be free like bags and food to make money yet when Ryanair tries to make money they are evil thieves.
US airlines are hardly any better - "full service" airlines suddenly charging for things that used to be free like bags and food to make money yet when Ryanair tries to make money they are evil thieves.
#13
Join Date: Nov 2006
Programs: Flying Blue, easyJet Plus (!)
Posts: 1,762
The thing I've always wondered about boarding passes is why airlines don't dispense with them. If, as is the case for Ryanair, the only valid form of ID is a passport, surely you could just scan a machine readable passport at the gate?
Neil
#14
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Germany
Programs: Miles & More, Amex
Posts: 678
The EU rules are quite clear. It must be clear prior to booking a flight how much it will cost. Adding EUR 40 for printing a boarding pass is insane and a violation of these rules.
FR was quite often now in court about these (and other) rules and they always lost. When do they learn? Never.
The alternative FR pointed out or removing any check-in machines won't help either, because the record of booking in the booking machine of FR is prove enough for a flight. In theory, you could just go to the airport without any ticket, show your passport for ID and FR has to issue the ticket and boarding pass - without any extra handling, printing, ... fee.
I don't fly them - even for free. There are so many hidden and illegal fees involved that you never know how much you will pay in the end.
BTW: I don't have the reference, but FR stated one day that the EU law for customer rights do not apply to them, because it is obvious that for that little money charged FR will not have the ability to pay their customers a hotel night for canceled flights.
FR was quite often now in court about these (and other) rules and they always lost. When do they learn? Never.
The alternative FR pointed out or removing any check-in machines won't help either, because the record of booking in the booking machine of FR is prove enough for a flight. In theory, you could just go to the airport without any ticket, show your passport for ID and FR has to issue the ticket and boarding pass - without any extra handling, printing, ... fee.
I don't fly them - even for free. There are so many hidden and illegal fees involved that you never know how much you will pay in the end.
BTW: I don't have the reference, but FR stated one day that the EU law for customer rights do not apply to them, because it is obvious that for that little money charged FR will not have the ability to pay their customers a hotel night for canceled flights.
#15
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: UK
Posts: 561
While some of FR's fees may have been ruled 'abusive', I don't think they're in violation of any EU rules/laws with regard to how pricing is listed on their website.