Ryanair to abolish check-in desks
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I think Ryanair should be congratulated in their initiative. They are delivering millions of customers to shopping centres attached to airports, and should be paid by these shopping centres for delivering customers who will use the shops, car parks, bars and restuarants.
It can cost more to park in dublin or cork airports for two days then the cost of a flight with Ryanair between the two cities.
It can cost more to park in dublin or cork airports for two days then the cost of a flight with Ryanair between the two cities.
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Just found a funny clause in their FAQs
Ryanair.com - FAQS :
Then went to T&C's where it says you need a passport to use online checkin. Bit of a silly one, anybody been turned away at the gate?
Ryanair.com - FAQS :
A valid driving licence with photo is acceptable photo ID for travel on domestic flights. (Please note that driving licences are not accepted when passengers are using online check-in)
Join Date: May 2008
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A guy in front of me was stopped recently in the q at Cork trying to board teh dublin flight. He hadn't his passport with him. He explained that he had checked in online, and that he had entered his passport details at that stage, but hadn't brought his passport with him. he had his driving licence with him. They sent him back to the check in desk. This happened at the gate, I presume the check in desk charged him for checking in again.
(Many Cork people would like to have to use a passport when travelling to Dublin
)
(Many Cork people would like to have to use a passport when travelling to Dublin
)
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Surprised he had time to complete their trivial formalities and get on the flight, I suspect he missed it. They don't normally open the gate until very shortly before they depart, and checkin would almost certainly have closed, in my experience. If I had missed an important meeting or lost out in some other way I would be writing to Ryanair demanding compensation.
Paxing All Over The World
You would be writing Scumbag O'Riley and they would not be replying - OR paying! RYR really are very smart and I am sure that text books have already been written about them. Periodically, each line of business gets a complete upheaval which might be due to 'disrupting technology' such as the PC or just because someone implements new work practises as RYR have done. In the airline world, the last big upheaval was Freddie Laker and he was grandfather to RYR (as there was another generation of LCCs between them).
In all likelihood, it will be another 20 years from now before another upheaval of this magnitude happens in the airline biz. So you might as well enjoy this one.
In all likelihood, it will be another 20 years from now before another upheaval of this magnitude happens in the airline biz. So you might as well enjoy this one.
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I totally agree PAXboy, they wouldn't reply. But I would have a recorded delivery letter which I would use to demonstrate that I made the effort before I took it further. Then they would have to pay more.
I happen to think Ryanair are a brilliant airline. Of course their peer group are not particulary impressive so it's easy to stand out. Well, apart from their rip off credit card charge, that has cost them a few flights from me.
Just because they are a good airline doesn't give them the right to mess you around. If their stupid procedures cost me money then I would expect them to compensate me. Just like any other business out there.
I happen to think Ryanair are a brilliant airline. Of course their peer group are not particulary impressive so it's easy to stand out. Well, apart from their rip off credit card charge, that has cost them a few flights from me.
Just because they are a good airline doesn't give them the right to mess you around. If their stupid procedures cost me money then I would expect them to compensate me. Just like any other business out there.
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News from LTN says that Ryanair have been in talks with the airport about these self check in desks and the airport have said no unless other handling agents can use them as well!
Would FR really operate both check in kiosks and check in desks (real people) across their network?
Would FR really operate both check in kiosks and check in desks (real people) across their network?
Laker started and built up his initial business doing holiday charters from Gatwick and Manchester just like other operators of the time, indeed it was exactly what he had done as MD of British United. So no upheaval there.
Laker's basic transatlantic Skytrain model, once started, didn't work well and was not emulated. Laker themselves changed it several times towards mainstream airline standards, started to take advance reservations, and in the end had a premium cabin at the front. An upheaval, or familiar stuff ?
Then megalomania set in and Laker thought he could offer as much capacity on some routes (eg UK to Los Angeles) as the established carriers, he went out and bought huge fleets of DC-10s and A300s which were all financed instead of bought from capital, that either ran three-quarters empty or sat unused through the winter period, ate up all his cash, and was finished. Is that a model to follow ?
Strangely, for an amateur in the business compared to the long-term airline boss, Richard Branson had a much better idea of how to develop an airline than Laker ever did.
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The days of check-in desks are numbered.
Look at the airports that currently offer self check and self bag dispatch. These systems work and, coupled with on-line check-in, remove the cost and uncertainty of the check-in agent. The modern systems, when backed with stamd-by power for unscheduled outages, are extremely reliable and the cost of some one to re-fill is a lot less than to man a check-in desk.
EZY went for 100% self check-in at EMA about 3 years ago and have a good number of airports now working self check-in.
Once the CAA in the UK approve self bag dispatch systems you will see the market move again.
There will always be a need for a human interface but this will be a much lower level that commonly seen at airports today.
Good airport infrastructure investment in self operate systems will give big paybacks in the years to come.
GH
Look at the airports that currently offer self check and self bag dispatch. These systems work and, coupled with on-line check-in, remove the cost and uncertainty of the check-in agent. The modern systems, when backed with stamd-by power for unscheduled outages, are extremely reliable and the cost of some one to re-fill is a lot less than to man a check-in desk.
EZY went for 100% self check-in at EMA about 3 years ago and have a good number of airports now working self check-in.
Once the CAA in the UK approve self bag dispatch systems you will see the market move again.
There will always be a need for a human interface but this will be a much lower level that commonly seen at airports today.
Good airport infrastructure investment in self operate systems will give big paybacks in the years to come.
GH
Paxing All Over The World
Thread drift ...
Yes, WHBM, I accept that Laker did not get it right first time but I contend that he was the disruptive force that made change possible. Here is a parallel: Which company pioneered the Personal Digital Assistant? Apple with the Newton started in 1989 but most people know the Palm Pilot from 1996. Apple made the breakthrough PDA (the disruption) but could not carry it off.
However, at the same time as Laker was trying to break the mould, there was a disruptive technology that would change everything - the wide bodied airliner. First the 747 but the 767 is often considered to have made an even greater impact as the first adaptable long haul twin.
(Sorry TS, we should probably be in the history forum with this!)
Yes, WHBM, I accept that Laker did not get it right first time but I contend that he was the disruptive force that made change possible. Here is a parallel: Which company pioneered the Personal Digital Assistant? Apple with the Newton started in 1989 but most people know the Palm Pilot from 1996. Apple made the breakthrough PDA (the disruption) but could not carry it off.
However, at the same time as Laker was trying to break the mould, there was a disruptive technology that would change everything - the wide bodied airliner. First the 747 but the 767 is often considered to have made an even greater impact as the first adaptable long haul twin.
(Sorry TS, we should probably be in the history forum with this!)
Back to Check-in
Whatever is the point of check-in in the first place ? Pax have documentation from web reservation, just go straight to gate. Take any bags there rather than half a mile back in the terminal - this also gets round those checked-in with bags in the hold but still in the bar when the gate closes.
Whatever is the point of check-in in the first place ? Pax have documentation from web reservation, just go straight to gate. Take any bags there rather than half a mile back in the terminal - this also gets round those checked-in with bags in the hold but still in the bar when the gate closes.
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Wasn't this pretty much what it was possible to do at US airports in the days when members of the public could meet arriving passengers at the gate? Wasn't it called "gate check-in" or something similar? I recall seeing chutes down which luggage could be sent. Perhaps my memory does not serve me well and the latter were for standby passengers....
Seat62k
You are correct as remember being shocked that non travelling passengers could go right to the gate. The shute was there but everybody seemed to be carrying it on board.
Think it was Philadelpia where one of the best restaurants in the area was airside and had a huge business with majority of it coming from non SLFs.
Post 9/11 the business folded as its customer base ceased to exist.
Then again in many US airports McDonalds were paying more per hour than Security checkers.
You are correct as remember being shocked that non travelling passengers could go right to the gate. The shute was there but everybody seemed to be carrying it on board.
Think it was Philadelpia where one of the best restaurants in the area was airside and had a huge business with majority of it coming from non SLFs.
Post 9/11 the business folded as its customer base ceased to exist.
Then again in many US airports McDonalds were paying more per hour than Security checkers.
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Ah, Philadelphia. It's been years since I passed through (at least eight) but I have fond memories of the rocking chairs which made waiting for my connecting US Airways' flight quite relaxing....
(Off topic. Apologies!!)
(Off topic. Apologies!!)
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FR have been pushing to have passengers carry their own bags to the gate for as long as I can remember. The argument being that if folks travelling on trains, coaches or ferries can do it why can't those flying do it? The + for FR would mean even fewer staff and less equipment needed and they would also be able to leave passengers who are late to the gate behind without fear of falling foul of the security requirements surrounding unaccompanied baggage on board because in effect there shouldn't be any if this process was adopted.
Allowing passengers to carry their one hold baggage to the gate isn't impossible but introducing this process would be complicated in UK airports and the majority of airports throughout Europe because they are designed around the principal of passive in line hold baggage screening (100% HBS). To redesign and re-fashion airports to allow passengers to carry (or trolley) their bags to the gate would costs Millions upon Millions and who do you think will pay for that? certainly not FR or Mr MOL!
And just think of the chaos that may ensue around the terminals;
big queues at Security as everyone presents their hold baggage for screening before crossing the landside/airside boundary!
You'd find it difficult to get into the shops, restaurants, toilets and other facilities because of the sheer mass of trollies and baggage around.
You'd still have to queue again at some point to 'check-in' your baggage at the gate in order that it could then be handed over to the loading teams, I don't think allowing passengers to actually load their own baggage would ever be accepted, who would ensure correct weight distribution?
Came across this article this morning during my daily trawl through the E-newspapers.
New €5 Ryanair charge as check-in desks scrapped - National News, Frontpage - Independent.ie
Good old MOL
Allowing passengers to carry their one hold baggage to the gate isn't impossible but introducing this process would be complicated in UK airports and the majority of airports throughout Europe because they are designed around the principal of passive in line hold baggage screening (100% HBS). To redesign and re-fashion airports to allow passengers to carry (or trolley) their bags to the gate would costs Millions upon Millions and who do you think will pay for that? certainly not FR or Mr MOL!
And just think of the chaos that may ensue around the terminals;
big queues at Security as everyone presents their hold baggage for screening before crossing the landside/airside boundary!
You'd find it difficult to get into the shops, restaurants, toilets and other facilities because of the sheer mass of trollies and baggage around.
You'd still have to queue again at some point to 'check-in' your baggage at the gate in order that it could then be handed over to the loading teams, I don't think allowing passengers to actually load their own baggage would ever be accepted, who would ensure correct weight distribution?
Came across this article this morning during my daily trawl through the E-newspapers.
New €5 Ryanair charge as check-in desks scrapped - National News, Frontpage - Independent.ie
Good old MOL
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From that Irish Independent link-
Unbelievable.
(Ryanair) Spokesman Stephen McNamara defended the decision to charge customers who are now forced to check in at home and print their own boarding cards.
"We are providing them with the facility to check in online. Websites don't build themselves you know," he said.
"We are providing them with the facility to check in online. Websites don't build themselves you know," he said.
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If the charge is to cover the cost of the Website, given the poor functionality of Ryanair's compared with others, together with the problems users have had getting the thing to work properly, the fee should be in the order of a few cents/pence.
I always check-in online and travel with hand luggage only (with, I might add, a backpack small enough to fit under the seat in front). First priority boarding was removed and now this.
If a charge for checking in online is introduced this will make easyJet look much more attractive than it does now for some of the routes I regularly travel.
Do you think we could charge Ryanair for the ink and paper used printing boarding passes?
I always check-in online and travel with hand luggage only (with, I might add, a backpack small enough to fit under the seat in front). First priority boarding was removed and now this.
If a charge for checking in online is introduced this will make easyJet look much more attractive than it does now for some of the routes I regularly travel.
Do you think we could charge Ryanair for the ink and paper used printing boarding passes?
Charging for web checkin
Steady on chaps and chapesses...
What Ryanair say they will do and what they actually do are often quite different things - see the stuff about a pound to pee as an example of this
There seem to be 2 schools of thought at the moment.
1) Everyone who checks in online will be charged 5 pounds / euros per flight. If this charge is essentially nonavoidable, this may well land them in trouble with the EU.
2) Only those who will be checking in baggage need to pay.
From stuff in the press and even Ryanair's own website, it is not certain if even Ryanair know what they are going to do.
I agree that putting out press releases that are badly worded or incorrect is not a good idea. However, could I suggest that we wait a week or two for some clarity to emerge before complaining about this ?
What Ryanair say they will do and what they actually do are often quite different things - see the stuff about a pound to pee as an example of this
There seem to be 2 schools of thought at the moment.
1) Everyone who checks in online will be charged 5 pounds / euros per flight. If this charge is essentially nonavoidable, this may well land them in trouble with the EU.
2) Only those who will be checking in baggage need to pay.
From stuff in the press and even Ryanair's own website, it is not certain if even Ryanair know what they are going to do.
I agree that putting out press releases that are badly worded or incorrect is not a good idea. However, could I suggest that we wait a week or two for some clarity to emerge before complaining about this ?
Business model of many airports has just gone out the window because you can be sure that others will start to follow very quickly hence employment and revenue opportunities for renting out desks will disappear.
Potentially you may have a position with 2-3 years where an airport with 2-3 million passengers a year has 3-4 check in desk and 2-3 bag drop areas.
What would be done with the extra space ?
Potentially you may have a position with 2-3 years where an airport with 2-3 million passengers a year has 3-4 check in desk and 2-3 bag drop areas.
What would be done with the extra space ?
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What Ryanair say they will do and what they actually do are often quite different things - see the stuff about a pound to pee as an example of this
The latest statement from Ryanair, however, sits square with their policy of reducing as much of their checkin in costs as possible by using the web.
Getting rid of check in desks then introducing a web checkin charge sounds exactly like the one-time free priority for web check-ins which very quickly became yet another charge.