Ryanair introduced a major change to its boarding policy on Wednesday, affecting millions of daily passengers, including anyone traveling to Spain.
The budget carrier confirmed that it will no longer be accepting paper boarding passes it almost all of the airports it operates in.
It said it was ‘moving to 100% digital boarding passes’ from Wednesday in a bid to speed up travel and lower costs.
It warned customers that they must now check in online before arriving to the airport, which, it added, 90% of its 206 million passengers already do.
There are concerns among some rights groups that such changes unfairly affect people who do not have access to the internet, in particular the vulnerable or elderly.
The move was branded the ‘tip of an iceberg’ by Dennis Reed, from campaign group Silver Voices, speaking to BBC Radio 4’s You and Yours programme.
He said many services required apps or QR codes, which older people found challenging to use.
‘The digital revolution has gone completely bonkers to be honest,’ he said, adding that a growing number of services force you to use apps or QR codes, which some older people can find challenging.
Those who fail to check in online ahead of their flight will have to pay an airport check-in fee of up to €55, the airline confirmed.
However, customers who have checked in online but cannot access their boarding pass on their smart phone will able to receive it for free at the airport – removing the previous €20 charge.
The only country where paper boarding passes can continue to be used on Ryanair flights is Morocco.
