Nothing quite beats the rush of snagging an incredibly cheap flight ticket! And flying with Ryanair makes that possible. Ryanair is an Irish airline company renowned for its incredibly low fares. But there is a catch to these budget-friendly prices. If you’re not careful you may become overwhelmed with hidden fees that you weren’t expecting. After all, this airline does have to abide by the same rules and regulations as everyone else. So to make sure you’re aware of the rules and hidden fees before booking your ticket here are things that will cost extra when you fly with Ryanair.
Using a Credit Card
How often do you pay cash for your flight bookings? We’re pretty confident it’s never. But this is just about the only way to avoid this ridiculous fee. With the large majority of customers paying for their flights online, the only real way to pay is to use a credit card, and Ryanair knows this. That’s why they charge 2% of your total transaction as their mandatory credit card fee.
Bringing a Baby
Infants in arms fly for free right? Maybe with other airlines, but if you want to bring your child under 2 years of age you’ll have to pay a fee of around $22.48 USD per flight. While this fee is somewhat of a nuisance, it’s still better than paying full price for another seat for your child.
Infant/Child Equipment
As if paying for your baby wasn’t enough, if you plan on bringing equipment you may be charged for that too. You are allowed two items of baby equipment per child (1 stroller and one of the following: car seat, booster seat, or travel cot. However, if you need to bring more than two items with you you’ll be charged a fee. It will cost you about $16 USD per item if the item is added at the time of booking and about $28 USD if the item is added post-booking and at the airport. It’s also worth noting, there is a maximum weight of 20 kg (about 40 lbs.) per item.
Allocated Seating
If you’re traveling as a group and want to ensure that you all get to sit together, or if you’re picky about where you sit on the plane, be prepared to pay. Many airlines will provide confirmed seating at the time of booking free of charge but to select your own seats with Ryanair you’ll be charged between $8 and $21 USD per seat, depending on the seat you choose.
Priority Boarding
Do you despise waiting in the long line to board your plane? If flying Ryanair you can actually pay for priority boarding access. Ryanair’s Priority & 2 Cabin Bags allows you to board the plane with the priority queue along with your small personal bag and a 10kg (22 lbs.) wheelie bag. It’ll cost between $6 and $20 USD. Even though it does cost extra, this is a great option if you want to skip the checked bags and avoid the long waits at the terminal of your destination.
Name Change Fee
This is one hefty fee (the airline’s highest in fact) that you don’t want to have to pay: if you require a name change after booking your flight, Ryanair will charge you approximately $128 USD online or $180 USD through an agent. We understand that this fee is meant to charge passengers who are changing their flight from one person to another, but there have been several reports of customers who were charged this fee simply because of a typing mistake or not entering their full name as it’s listed on their passport. Although if you do make this mistake it’s worth calling customer service to try and have it corrected free of charge.
Boarding Pass Reprint
This is one fee that countless passengers have fallen victim to. The reason? All Ryanair passengers must check-in online for all their flights. This is a change from most airlines that allow you to check-in at the airport. So, if you forget to do this crucial step and show up at the airport, you’ll be charged the boarding pass reprint fee of almost $17 USD. Quite a large fee all things considered so just be sure to check in online!
Tea, Coffee, Water, and Soft Drinks
Even the most budget-friendly airlines still offer complimentary refreshments to passengers. But on Ryanair, all drinks will cost you. Coffee and tea cost around $3 while soft drinks will cost around $2.50, and don’t even think there will be a water service. You’ll have to buy your own bottle for $3.
Snacks
If you don’t get complimentary drinks when flying Ryanair you can forget about any complimentary snacks. Everything from peanuts to pretzels to crackers will cost you around $2. While these aren’t overly expensive fees, this is further proof that everything will cost you extra on this airline.
Ketchup and Mayo
So you splurged and bought a bowl of delicious hot oven chips on your flight for $4 USD, but what about the crucial condiments? If you want any ketchup or mayo to go with those fries be prepared to pay 20 cents per packet! Yikes!
Bikes and Other Sports Equipment
If you’re the outdoorsy type and plan on traveling with your bike or other sports equipment you will have to pay extra. To take a bike on Ryanair it will cost you about $67 USD during booking or $85 USD post-booking, at the airport. Sports equipment will cost about $39 to $45 USD per flight and other large sports items will cost you about $60 to $75 USD. Ski equipment will cost about $50 to $56 USD and golf clubs will cost about $33-$44 USD per flight. All equipment must not weigh over 20kg (44 lbs).
Checked Baggage
You won’t find many budget airlines that offer free checked baggage these days, so while paying for it is pretty common, Ryanair’s fees for this are notoriously high. You can expect to pay anywhere from $17 – $168 USD depending on the number of bags you have, your route, and the time of travel. The airline is also known for having some of the lowest weight restrictions in the industry, meaning you’re more likely to encounter excess/overweight baggage fees which will cost you a hefty $12 USD per kilo. That said If you’re able to stick to the weight limits a 20kg bag on Ryanair will cost you about $28-$40 USD if added during booking and $44-$56 USD post-booking at the airport.
