Ryanair passengers slam 'ridiculous' new rule amid fears of extra charges
Travellers are slamming a 'ridiculous' new rule imposed by budget carrier Ryanair and have raged that it came out of the blue.
The low cost airline have made a major change to their rules for boarding but it's annoyed some fliers.
It recently announced that paper boarding passes would no longer be accepted and that it would transition to a fully digital system for passengers using their flights.
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But that has angered holidaymakers who are up in arms about what it means for their trips away and what possible charges they could incur.
Posting online, a disgruntled customer wrote: "Its ok to say if your battery dies we can do everything at the gate... no indication of how much Ryanair will charge you if this happens!"
Another raised concern over the tech-savviness of older passengers: "Some older persons may have a smart phone but that doesn't mean that they know how to use them fully. Basics - yes but not much more."
One other person expressed their worries for people who were not good with technology. They wrote: "I know some middle age people who can work, say, WhatsApp and maybe get on the Internet but not much more."
Questions about efficiency were raised as well. "Digital is quicker? Hardly! They are the ones not ready and we have to wait while they fumble around finding their pass on their phone. People with paper are much faster," complained a displeased traveller.
Amidst claims of discrimination against senior travellers, one individual expressed their frustration: "The elderly are not mentally impaired. Stop treating them as if they should be considered so. It is really patronising. Incidentally, if the systems go down, they can't issue paper boarding passes either," reports Birmingham Live.
The worries escalated as someone remarked: "So if there are any issues with your phone, that's it, you're not flying."
Many thought the change unnecessary and predicted chaos, with one person saying: "What a ridiculous rule. They are trying to make things difficult for absolutely no reason."
Concerns peaked over the potential for widespread disruption, particularly for senior citizens without smartphones: "Ridiculous as some older people do not have smartphones. I think it will cause chaos, especially for older people."
One person commented: "Great idea. Saves time for everyone. But it's always a good idea to have paper copies of everything just in case technology fails or your phone gets nicked," while another posted: "Online system is the way forward [the] older generation need to get used to the fact. Times are changing. It's not hard to adapt."
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