
Ryanair's £55 'fee' can be avoided if you follow airport worker's advice
People who will be travelling with the budget airline this summer have '24 hours to avoid the charge'.
Millions of tourists will be making their way through UK airports this summer, and for those not used to flying beyond the annual summer holiday, the experience can be rather hectic. It could potentially lead to unexpected fees before the holiday even kicks off if they're not used to airports.
Ryanair, the well-known budget carrier, runs about 3,600 flights daily. The airline offers routes from the UK to various European destinations including Cyprus, Denmark, France, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and beyond.
TikTok user Mesha has offered some insider advice for those planning a summer break with Ryanair. Working for the airline at London Stansted Airport, she wanted to help travellers have a seamless journey with Ryanair.
Mesha's video highlights some lesser-known rules and benefits of flying with Ryanair during the summer holidays. She points out that families can bring "two free baby items per child" on their flights, covering essentials like pushchairs, car seats, and cots without additional charges, though extra items beyond the two allowed will incur fees, reports the Express.
She also said that some Ryanair staff may prevent passengers from boarding the flight if they have a hot drink in hand, as Ryanair has a strict policy against bringing hot beverages onboard. She explained: "Ryanair does not permit hot drinks on board. You can purchase drinks on board, but you cannot take a hot drink from outside onto the aircraft for safety reasons. You think we're just trying to make you buy more on board, but we're really not!"
Travellers should also be particularly attentive in airports since the carrier no longer announces final calls for passengers. She advised: "Look at your boarding pass. It tells you what time the gate closes. Make sure you are at the gate no later than a few minutes before that closing time."
Her biggest piece of advice for Ryanair customers this summer is to ensure they check-in online. Mesha added: "It is the easiest thing to do. It opens 24 hours before your flight departs and closes two hours before."
She warned: "If you do not check in online, you will be charged £55 when you get to the airport. You cannot check in, get your boarding card - nothing - without paying that £55 online."
In her video, she highlighted the need to be vigilant regarding the check-in process, especially for those who book their travels through a third party. She wrote over the top of her video: "You need to get the booking details so that you can check yourself in because most of the time, they do not check you in, and you'll still be charged."
The Ryanair website highlighted that passengers utilising its online service can avoid the fee altogether. The £55 charge is only applied to those turning up at the airport without having performed an online check-in.
A comment from a Ryanair spokesperson said: "If you do not check in online up to 2 hours before your scheduled departure time, you may check in at the airport up to 40 minutes before departure, but you will be charged an airport check-in fee. We urge all passengers to check in online before arriving at the airport so these fees can be avoided."
Addressing last-minute airport check-ins, Mesha warned travellers about the risk of being removed from their flight in the event it's overbooked, adding: "How they decide who is offloaded is based on the last people to check in."

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