While Ryanair’s fees on baggages are on the rise, the low-cost airline is set to remove all of its airport check-in desks next week. Beginning with Thursday of next week, all passengers travelling with Ryanair will have to check-in online, on Ryanair’s website, starting with 15 days prior to their scheduled flight or at least 4 hours before the trip.

The cost for printing such a boarding ticket is £5 per person, per flight. If you’re checking in luggage, you’ll have to leave your it at the company’s “bag drop”, which will replace the classical check-in desks with personnel.

Anyone arriving without his or her boarding pass at the airport will be unable to fly or will have to pay £40 at the ticketing desk. According to a Ryanair spokesman, this new rule has been applied in an effort to improve passengers’ experience at the airport, thus reducing queues, and to continue offer low prices on their tickets.

He also said that this fee and other fees which have been implemented are optional and avoidable. Still, some find Ryanair’s fees expensive. James Fremantle, a spokesman for the Air Transport Users Council, asked the company to show more sympathy for its customers.

He added that, if passengers lose their boarding pass, a £40 fee for reissuing is steep. Also, the £5 online check-in fee cannot be considered optional, because it applies to all passengers.

Along with the removal of check-in desks at the airports, comes increase

luggage fees. Starting with Thursday, you will have to pay £30 instead of £20 for a single bag of 15kg maximum weight. The second flight will cost a whooping £70 per flight. Ryanair’s policy will also change next week and no longer allow children under 16 years of age to travel unaccompanied.

(via The Sidney Morning Herald)