BOARDING PASS WARNING FOR HOLIDAYMAKERS HEADING TO POPULAR TOURIST SPOT

Summer holiday season is fast approaching, but if you’ve got a trip booked soon it’s important to double-check the boarding pass rules as soon as possible.

This is because not every airline or airport will have the same procedures in place, and you could face unwanted fees or delays to your trip if you don’t adhere to the guidelines.

For instance, Ryanair and easyJet recently shared an important warning for those travelling to and from Morocco.

According to Ryanair’s website, all travellers departing from a Moroccan airport must print out a physical copy of their boarding pass, as digital ones won’t be accepted.

The airline explained: ‘If you depart from a Moroccan airport, a digital boarding pass will not be accepted. You must carry a physical printout of your boarding pass, and you’ll need to present this boarding pass at the Moroccan airport check-in facility.’

According to Ryanair, digital boarding passes are also not accepted in Turkey, so visitors there will also need to print a copy out ahead of their journey home. Despite these rules, customers flying from Turkey are able to check in online — you just can’t use the online boarding pass.

Similarly, easyJet’s website states: ‘Due to local regulations in place at Marrakech, mobile boarding passes are not available. You will need to print your boarding pass and go to Bag Drop for a document check, even if you don’t have bags to drop off.’

The airline recommends passengers get to the bag drop desk three hours before their flight time. And for those running late, the luggage drop service closes an hour before departure.

This rule for boarding passes in Morocco seems to be the same regardless of which carrier you travel with.

Some have claimed on Tripadvisor that they’d been fined €50 for not having a printed copy of their boarding pass at Moroccan airports. However, these fines are not mentioned by Ryanair or easyJet.

Easyjet confirmed they do not charge or fine customers for printing a boarding pass at the airport. If you do not have one, they will print one for free.

However, the same cannot be said for Ryanair, who are known to charge a boarding card reissue fee for each passenger if they have to print a boarding pass out for you.

This fee can be up to £20 per person, so if you don’t have a printer and wish to avoid it, it’s worth seeing if you can use one at work, at a local library, or ask a friend with a printer to help out.

And to be safe, no matter where you’re going, it’s best to ensure you always have both an electronic boarding pass and a physical copy with you.

What other airport fees should you be wary of?

Several airlines may also charge passengers to check them in at the airport, if they have not checked in online before the day of travel. 

Ryanair, for instance, charges a fee for checking in at the airport which is £55 per person, or £30 for flights from Spain. The fee is waived for Flexi Plus and Plus passengers.

For a family holiday this could prove pretty pricey, so ensure you’ve checked in online or on an app before heading to the airport.

Wizz Air also charges for checking in at the airport, but it has two different fees for this. If you pre-book your airport check in online, passengers will be charged £11.50 each. Those who don’t pre-book will have to pay a heftier price of £36 per passenger.

Anyone travelling in the US with Frontier Airlines will also have to pay up to £20 for ‘Airport Agent Assistance’ on the day, which includes help with checking in and printing boarding passes, and US-based Spirit Airlines also charges to print boarding passes and to check in at the airport.

This comes after British holidaymakers were recently warned about upcoming airport delays and urged to make sure they allow for plenty of time at the airport.

ABTA, the UK association for tour operators and travel agents, warned holidaymakers to do their homework around hand luggage liquid rules or face ‘unnecessary delays’ going through security,

British airports were set to scrap the 100ml limit by June 1 this year, but the Government has extended the deadline due to issues with implementing new scanners.

While already in effect at London City Airport and projected to be introduced at the likes of Bristol, Edinburgh and Leeds Bradford by the end of 2024, it could be 2025 before Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester roll out the update.

With that in mind, Luke Petherbridge, director of public affairs at ABTA, said: ‘our best advice is to prepare for your travels with the existing rules in mind.’

He added: ‘That way, you’ll be ready to comply whatever the scenario, avoiding any unnecessary delays through security and any difficulties when returning from your destination.

‘You can also check with your airport in advance, and we’d also recommend checking with your return airport too.’

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2024-04-12T10:56:30Z dg43tfdfdgfd