Added fees bring Ryanair over 650 million pounds annually

Irish budget airline Ryanair is projecting £650 million in revenue from booking fees and baggage charges in 2009.

It was revealed this week that the cost to passengers for checking a bag on a Ryanair flight is six times more than it was in 2006. The Dublin-based carrier has increased the charge for checking a bag to £30 on a return flight, which is up from the £5 charged three years ago.

In 2008, the airline carried 58 million passengers, and assuming that traffic is similar this year, and that half of the passengers still check at least one bag, Ryanair is poised to see at least £435 million of revenues in checked baggage fees. This figure is based on passengers choosing the cheapest option, which is booking online and travelling with just one bag. The charges increase to £60 for those not checking in online, or to £50 for checking two bags.

Ryanair has increased its booking fees to £10 per passenger, on a return flight – up from £3.50 in 2006 and from the £8 charged last year. Booking charges apply even with flights that are purchased in a single transaction, meaning that a family of four pays £40 in charges, even paying on a single card, for example.

There is one exception to this charge, and that is for customers who pay by Visa Electron. The airline is featuring a limited period when the card is honoured with no debit charge applied.

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www.ryanair.com