Ryanair denies passengers must pay to download boarding pass

Ryanair has said reports of a change to its charging policy are false and that passengers have never been asked to pay to download boarding passes. Over the past few days travellers have complained on social media that they have had to pay a "scandalous" new fee to access their boarding passes online. They were only able to download the electronic pass if they paid up to GBP21 for a seat first, they said. The alternative was to queue for a paper boarding pass at the airport. "All Ryanair passengers can pay for a reserved seat if they so wish or if passengers wish to avoid this seat fee, they can select a randomly allocated seat entirely free of charge," a Ryanair spokesperson said. However, several passengers have complained on social media that if they chose the option of a randomly allocated seat they were told they would have to pick up a paper boarding pass at the airport, a problem first reported in the Mail on Sunday two days ago. A series of indignant posts on X, formerly Twitter, have addressed Ryanair directly. "When and why did you start this carry on? I now have to QUEUE to collect my boarding pass at the airport?" said one passenger travelling from London to Belfast early on Monday morning. Another passenger said: "I just can't believe your new policy of not allowing passengers to create a boarding pass (mobile or print-out) unless they buy a seat, forcing them to join a check-in queue (30m or longer) to do so for no other reason for you to make a few quid. Scandalous."<br/>