Ryanair cuts fees and boosts baggage

RYANAIR is getting rid of some of its most annoying practices with a pledge to be more flexible on cabin baggage, stop excessive charges for fixing minor spelling mistakes and reissuing boarding cards, halve late baggage fees and junk noisy adverts during early-morning and late-evening flights.

The low-cost champion says it has reacted to customer complaints as it aims to increase its passenger number from the 80million this year to 110m in five years.

Boss Michael O’Leary said: “We are actively listening and responding to our customers so that they can continue to expect low fares and on-time flights on Ryanair, but will now enjoy easier website access, 24 hour grace periods, a 2nd small carry-on bag, reduced airport bag fees and quiet flights.

“We hope that our passengers will enjoy these service improvements, while still enjoying Ryanair’s low fares and on-time flights.”

Last month Ryanair issued a profits warning and Mr O’Leary admitted in an interview to The Independent that budget rival easyJet’s website was easier to use. He promised to improve services for passengers from all the way from booking to landing.

Changes will be rolled out over the next six months with improvements to the website on November 1 to get rid of the “Recaptcha” security code and a 24-hour grace period for customers to “correct any minor errors (i.e. spelling, names, routings)” made in their original booking.

The same day Ryanair will operate “quiet flights” before 8.00 and after 21.00 with no public announcements other than for safety reasons.

From December 1, Ryanair will allow passengers to bring a second small carry-on bag (small ladies handbag or small airport shopping bag) no bigger than 35 x 20 x 20cm, which will allow a bottle of wine or equivalent to be carried.

It will also cut the boarding card reissue fee from €70 to €15 for customers who have already checked in online. Customers who fail to check-in online will continue to pay a €70 airport check-in fee.

Baggage fees will also be cut from €60 to €30 at the bag drop desk, and from €60 to €50 at the boarding gate – this, the company said, was to “bring them into line with competitor airline standard airport bag fees”.

Customer service director Caroline Green said: “Ryanair is actively working on to make our low fare services easier to access and even more enjoyable for our millions of customers.

“If customers have any other suggestions or feedback they want us to hear, then please use our customer feedback service “Tell MOL” on the Ryanair.com website.”