All you need to know about Ryanair's latest €100 fine for late arrivals
People planning their next overseas trip are urged to be wary of the new penalty
As holiday season approaches, Ryanair passengers can expect to be hit with a new penalty if they arrive at their check-in desk less than 40 minutes before their flight's scheduled departure.
The new €100 penalty will be applied to latecomers and it's worth being aware of this change ahead of the busy spring and summer months.
The airline has implemented the new policy where travellers who turn up at the airport with less than 40 minutes until their scheduled flight might face a €100 penalty per passenger. By that time, the check-in desk would be closed and boarding already underway.
While the right airport arrival time is often up for debate with some saying they prefer to get there as early as four hours before their flight, others tend to cut it much closer, arriving just as check-in closes or boarding starts.
However, this new penalty is the last thing any passenger wants as well as airport procedures like luggage check in and going through security taking longer during peak travel times.
It is also important to remember that every airline has different check-in times and some allow passengers to check in only two to two and a half hours before departure.
Generally, it is optimal to arrive at least two hours before short-haul flights and three hours before long-haul journeys as a rule of thumb. However, as Ryanair have demonstrated with this fine, the airline has taken a stricter approach by imposing penalties on those who arrive too late.
When it comes to those who miss their scheduled flight, attempting to book the next one comes with a specific cost. Ryanair's policy on missed flights is states: "Only available at less than 40 mins before and up to one hour after flight departure time. Also available to customers who arrive at the ticket desk up to an hour after their flight departure to move to the next available flight. The fee is charged per passenger per sector."
They warn passengers: "If you do not check in online up to two 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."
To avoid these fines and extra charges, Ryanair has recommended that passengers ensure they check in online and reach the airport well in advance of their scheduled flight.