Budget airline Ryanair has announced that it will waive its flight change fee for travellers who book to travel in July and August. This allows people to book their summer holidays with peace of mind, enabling them to have flexibility in case their travel plans change in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The airline has scheduled flights from most of its 80 bases from 1 July, subject to government restrictions and travel bans being lifted across Europe, as well as increased public health measures in airports. It has now decided that customers who book to travel in July and August will be able to move their flights with zero change fee to travel until 31 December. This flight date change will only apply to the route customers have already booked and trips must be completed before the year end. Among the precautionary measures travellers must take are checking their temperatures before arriving at the airport and submitting to temperature screenings at the airport, if required.
Check-in will be online only with passengers required to download their boarding pass to their smartphones. Crews will wear face masks and passengers are encouraged to wear masks too and check in fewer bags. Contactless payment only will be accepted for pre-packaged snacks and drinks on board the aircraft, and passengers are limited to using onboard toilet facilities "upon request" as queuing is no longer permitted. Passengers flying in July and August must also complete a form at check in, stating the length of their visit and the address of where they will be staying.
“As popular holiday countries like Italy, Portugal and Spain are opening up for international tourists, we are ready to welcome passengers on board from 1 July, when Ryanair will be operating over 1000 daily flights across our entire network," says Dara Brady, Ryanair’s director of marketing and digital. "We want to offer our customers as much confidence and flexibility as possible, with no flight change fee if their travel plans change.”
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