Reminder to passengers ahead of move to 100% digital boarding passes

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Mandatory App vs. PDFs / Paper

  • Press release says passengers “will no longer be able to download and print a physical paper boarding pass” and must use the myRyanair app.
  • However, Ryanair’s own digital-boarding-pass help page states:
    • If you’ve checked in online and your phone dies or is lost, you get a free boarding pass at the airport.
    • If you don’t have a smartphone but have checked in online, you also get a free boarding pass at the airport.
  • Some see this as an improvement over the old €50 “reprint” fee; others worry about long queues, hassle, and inconsistent enforcement.

Privacy, Surveillance, and Data Harvesting

  • A large chunk of the thread is from people who refuse to install airline apps (or own smartphones at all).
  • Concerns include:
    • Extensive app permissions (location, Bluetooth, ad IDs, storage, installed apps).
    • Data collection and sharing with third parties, advertising networks, and possibly insurers or authorities.
    • The opacity of what’s tracked and how securely it’s stored.
  • Many view the “greener” justification as a fig leaf; they believe the real goals are data monetization and continuous upsell via notifications.

Exclusion, Edge Cases, and Reliability

  • Worries about people with:
    • No smartphone, old/unsupported devices, disabilities, or religious objections.
    • Dead/stolen/broken phones or poor connectivity at airports.
  • Some argue ultra-low-cost carriers simply don’t cater to edge cases and will charge punitive “assistance” fees.
  • Others note Ryanair promises free printing if you’ve already checked in online, but see this as fragile and capacity-limited.

User Experience and Operational Issues

  • Multiple anecdotes of:
    • Airport Wi‑Fi/4G outages making digital-only boarding chaotic.
    • Apps or kiosks failing, forcing expensive last-minute printing.
    • Agents previously refusing to scan screens or manipulating app permissions.
  • Debate over whether digital passes actually speed boarding; some say scanning paper is faster and more reliable, others say the true bottleneck is cabin loading, not barcode scanning.

Broader Trends and Regulation

  • Many fear normalization of “app-only” access for more services (banks, restaurants, government, EV charging).
  • Some call for regulation so companies can’t make recent smartphones effectively mandatory or charge extra for non-app users.
  • Others respond that flying Ryanair is optional and market forces, not law, should decide—though critics counter that airline markets are highly constrained and prone to “race to the bottom” behavior.