The Irish low-cost airline "Ryanair" will fully transition to digital boarding passes on November 12, abandoning paper tickets. From now on, each passenger will be able to receive their boarding pass only on their phone, writes Latvijas Avīze.
The airline claims that this will make travel faster, more convenient, and environmentally friendly, but passengers have questions: what should someone do if they do not use a smartphone or if their battery dies while traveling?
The complete abandonment of paper tickets is explained by several considerations. Firstly, more sustainable management. According to "Ryanair," eliminating paper tickets will save over 300 tons of paper per year. Secondly, the airline hopes to improve the customer experience.
As explained by Ryanair's marketing director Dara Brady, the "myRyanair" app provides passengers with a number of advantages: the ability to order food to their seat, as well as receive real-time information about flight status, boarding gates, and possible delays. Passengers can receive direct notifications on their phones from the flight operations center, information about alternative flights, as well as offers for transfers and hotel accommodations. According to the airline, nearly 80% of the more than 200 million passengers of "Ryanair" already use digital boarding passes.
The new policy raises the greatest concern among passengers who do not use smartphones, such as the elderly, or those whose digital skills are limited. Questions also arise regarding possible technical malfunctions - what will happen if the phone is lost or if the battery dies just before boarding?
Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary tried to allay these fears, emphasizing that the main requirement is to check in online before arriving at the airport.
