‘Stop inventing spurious claims’: Ryanair says passenger error at root of reader woes

Several passengers have reported frustrating and costly experiences with Ryanair, citing issues with baggage fees and the airline's digital check-in process. One senior citizen, Josephine, described being charged three times for a single 20kg checked suitcase on a flight to Italy.

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The outward flight time was slightly changed and when I went to check in online on May 19th, 2026, the book luggage popped up on the app again and I foolishly thought the luggage had been unbooked because of the flight time change.

Josephine explained that after her outward flight time was slightly altered, she became concerned about her luggage booking when checking in online. Believing the luggage might have been unbooked due to the time change, she re-booked it, inadvertently incurring multiple charges. She paid €102 twice, in addition to the initial booking, for the same suitcase. Despite contacting her bank and Ryanair multiple times, she received no resolution, with the airline reportedly stating her bank statements were insufficient proof of payment.

Another passenger, Evelyn, encountered problems with the Ryanair app while trying to check in for a flight to Stansted. She received a notification to check in for her flight on June 12th and followed the prompts, downloading boarding cards. However, upon arriving at Dublin Airport, she discovered the boarding passes were for her return journey, not her departure. Evelyn was then forced to pay €110 for new paper boarding passes as the check-in for her outbound flight had already closed.

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I was forced to pay €110 for paper boarding cards as apparently the check-in for the flight had closed and I could not attempt to use the app to check in for my outbound journey while standing in the airport.

Ryanair has responded to these complaints by stating that passenger error is the cause of the problems. The airline maintains that customers are responsible for understanding and correctly using its booking and check-in systems. The passengers involved expressed feelings of stress, dispiritedness, and a loss of confidence due to their interactions with the airline's customer service, which they described as unhelpful and corporate.

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I accept I made a mistake, a company with any heart would refund me or indeed pick up on my error. I feel upset and dispirited and my confidence has taken a beating.