Copyright belfastlive
Ryanair bosses are urging passengers to get familiar with their new boarding rules, which will kick off in November. The budget airline is ditching physical boarding passes and going completely digital, which means paper print-outs will be a thing of the past. From 3rd November, travellers will be required to show their boarding passes through the Ryanair app. The company hopes to cut around 300 tonnes of paper annually by switching to digital, though worries have been voiced about potential challenges for elderly passengers who might not use the internet or possess smartphones. Ryanair's top boss, Michael O'Leary, has now offered reassurance to ease passenger anxieties about the compulsory smartphone boarding passes. He said: "Almost 100 per cent of passengers have smartphones, and we want to move everybody onto the smartphone technology. "The big concern that people have is: "What happens if I lose my battery or whatever, I lose my phone?, reports Wales Online . "If you lose your phone, no issue. As long as you've checked in before you get to the airport, we'll reissue a paper boarding pass at the airport free of charge. But you have to check in before you get to the airport. "Also, if your battery dies or something happens, once you've checked in, we'll have your sequence number anyway at the boarding gate, we'll take you you'll get on. So nobody should worry about it. "Just make sure you check in online before you get to the airport, and then all will be fine." With changes imminent, it's crucial to familiarise yourself with Ryanair's boarding pass policy before heading to the airport. Your boarding pass can be accessed via 'My Bookings' on the Ryanair.com website or through the Ryanair App. If you've checked in online but misplaced your boarding pass, you can retrieve it at any time using the Ryanair app. However, if you're flying out of a Moroccan airport or travelling from Tirana to the UK, a digital boarding pass won't cut it - you'll need to have a physical printed copy of your boarding pass, as a digital version won't be accepted. Ryanair passengers should be aware of the fees outlined by the airline. A per-sector airport check-in fee can set you back a hefty £55, or £30 if you're departing from Spain . Additionally, there's a £20 charge if you need a replacement boarding pass at the airport. The process is described as straightforward on Ryanair's official site: "Once you are logged in, select check-in and enter your travel document details." The airline also stresses the importance of personal responsibility when checking in. On their website, they state: "For your safety and security, and for the safety and security of your fellow passengers and our crew, the check-in process must be completed by you personally, by a passenger on your booking, or by an individual with personal knowledge of you and of the contents of your luggage. "This requirement is to ensure you are on notice of, and that you, a passenger on your booking, or an individual with personal knowledge of you and of the contents of your luggage have confirmed compliance with required safety, security and public health protocols, including those set out by the ICAO Technical Instructions, Regulation (EU) 2015/1998, and the EASA/ECDC Covid-19 Aviation Health Safety Protocol." For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter
