Ryanair to scrap paper boarding passes - passengers will need to use their phone

[cakeorwine]

Are print off Ryanair boarding passes really being scrapped? - Which? News

40% of people still use paper boarding passes. I am one of those people. I do have it on my phone but I do have a worry / what if with phone power, losing phone etc - where as having a paper copy is a good back up.

What happens if your phone dies?

Ryanair hasn’t yet answered this question fully. Though it has said that it can print boarding passes on the gate if necessary, based on passport information, it did not clarify what would happen if a traveller’s phone dies before they are able to pass through security in an airport where Ryanair has removed the check-in desks.
We contacted Ryanair to check if there are plans to introduce any fees for boarding passes printed at the gate, but the airline did not respond.

Flown with Ryanair a bit recently - it's fine. I can see issues at airports for people who may have phone issues, especially power - and after a flight delay. Power can go down quickly.

I can work my smartphone perfectly well but don’t like to rely on it as battery life is rubbish and I find it doesn’t scan as well as paper at the auto readers. I always print my boarding pass. I’d live with it if they get rid of them but would annoy me. I’d be more worried about people such as PP’s dad who doesn’t have a smart phone

More fool them.

I work with lots of older people and lots of them either don't have a smart phone or struggle to use them properly.

Lots of people will come on here and shriek everyone needs to get with the program but that's not how old age works. You can lose the ability of how to do things as you age or end up with a disability.

This! I can't understand people who say they've an old phone that won't "do" apps. It must be pre-historic. OH has an "old" phone which must be nearly 10 years old and apps work fine on it.

But even if you have a prehistoric one, why not buy a new one. You can get a simple one on a contract for less than a £50 up front cost and less than a tenner per month for the airtime/mobile data etc. Probably works out cheaper to buy a new phone and use Ryanair than stay in the dark ages and pay more for your flight with a more expensive airline.

Carry a powerbank?

What do people do if their smartphone has a cracked screen and so you cannot scan the barcode for it?

What happens if you cannot get the internet on your phone to download the ticket at the airport? Not everyone has loads of roaming data.

Buy one?

This was coming. Nearly everywhere is paperless tickets now.

My brother has a Nokia 3310 which he is very happy with. It does no apps whatsoever but you can play Snake on it. 😁

When I travel by plane I take my phone charger and a travel plug adapter so I could charge at the airport without buying a power pack. I just don't want to download apps if I can help it. My phone is old, I don't want to replace it due to the cost. I don't personally want everything on my phone. I find it slow and annoying.

You screenshot it or download it at home on your wifi.

Screen is just. Tough luck I guess

I think people are forgetting that Ryanairs motto is
'Customers? Who gives a fuck?'

There are some cheap low capacity ones that are similar in size and shape to a large pen, so very easy to carry. My "carry around" one is about the shape and size of a large cigar, so just pops into my pocket and weight is barely noticeable. I have a bigger one for long trips/days out/holidays etc., but even that is roughly the shape/size of a cigarette packet, so still fits into a pocket.

I don't want to, thanks. Presumably you have to remember to charge that up anyway, which is one more thing I don't want to have to remember when I catch the train out for a daytrip. Travelling abroad, I'll have to wait and see what happens. I don't want more gadgets.

Moving to digital passes is a natural progression, and keeps costs low so seat prices don't rise as quickly.

It's hardly Ryanairs fault if you have a crap phone.

If you want something cheap, you're really not going to get service quality. "You pays your money and you takes your choice!!""

That's your choice, but you bear the consequences when you get caught out with your phone battery running out.

I avoid Ryanair like the plague anyway, their attitude stinks

Totally agree.

Never. But once I dropped my phone at the airport and the screen smashed which kind of screwed me over.

Why do people fly with Ryanair? It certainly isn't convenience, because they charge for all the bitty extras, always fly to airports an hour+ outside of major cities and the planes are uncomfortable.

People choose Ryanair because its cheap. Why is it cheap? Because they make decisions like this.

Anyone who doesn't have a smart phone, or wants to opt for an airline who accepts printed passes can still do that - with one of the many other (pricier) airlines.

In May last year my phone broke on holiday. How will that work if you don't have a phone!!

My MIL would never have been able to use a smart phone. But we had to do everything for her anyway as she'd lost the ability to understand money, would lose her passport/paper boarding pass, forget which country she was going to on holiday etc. So even in an "analogue" world, we had to carry her passport and boarding pass and scan them for her, we kept her purse, etc. A fair proportion of the people "unable" to go digital will also be unable to cope in "analogue" too. It's a fact of life that as people get old, many will need more help and support, and that's true whether it's a "paper" based life or an "app" based life.

When you can get from Manchester to Limoges without using Ryanair for less than £25 then you have a point.

Ryanair is the airplane equivalent of a bus.
Cheap and generally gets you where you want to be on time.

If you want bells and whistles you will pay a lot more.

My dh won't use them.
I fly back and forth and know their website as well as they do, I never pay more than the base line price. I usually sit exactly where I want.

Caught out doing what? I either tap in and out for the train or get a paper ticket if using my railcard. I have no need for a power pack day to day - because I don't depend on my phone. If airlines all go paperless then I'll adjust as I see fit.

I do carry a power bank. My phone can go through its charge and a powerbank’s charge in the course of a day.

(why yes, I do need a new phone, but it cost me £600 and is only 2 years old so I’m annoyed about it)