nibor
I think I was the one who mentioned easyJet first in this thread.
I don't think it is a question of missing the point about Ryanair. Their conditions of travel are clearly laid out and must be followed if a pax does not want to be prevented from flying.
But my point is why are they so restrictive? Others have suggested that fewer types of id make it easier for gate staff to spot phonies - possibly.
As things stand any UK citizen who does not hold a passport or photo driving licence cannot fly on a Ryanair internal flight. This prevents some older people especially (the most likely to be in this category) from travelling with this airline within the UK.
In my personal experience I have found recently that at least one airline requires no proof of identity at check-in and another loco (easyJet) is far more flexible in what it will accept as id. Is it therefore surprising that some travellers are confused?
It may be that Ryanair has it right and everyone else should copy them. Equally, easyJet's policy might be the way to go.
Why cannot the airlines get together and adopt a common policy, through the good offices of the CAA or even the government if necessary? After all, we are talking about security and is it right to leave such matters to the whim of individual airlines? Passengers will also know what is required, whichever airline they are using.