Ryanair on May 20 will begin phasing out its airport check-in desks and from Oct. 1 will require all customers to check in online in an effort to lower its cost base.

The low-cost carrier also has stopped taking bookings for unaccompanied minors and now requires passengers flying within a single country and all infants to hold a valid passport or national identity card.

With the move to online check-in, Ryanair will no longer charge its 10 pounds/10 euros ($15.12/$13.60) check-in fee but will institute a 5 pound/5 euro online check-in fee for each passenger and each non-promotional flight. A 40 pound/40 euro “boarding card re-issue fee” also will be introduced to “encourage all passengers to arrive at the airport with their pre-printed Web check-in boarding card,” said the carrier.

“Passengers traveling without checked-in bags have already embraced our online check-in service, and the extension of this service to all passengers, including those with hold luggage and those traveling with infants will allow all passengers to forever avoid check-in queues,” continued Ryanair, noting, “This will also allow Ryanair to lower our airport and handling costs and pass these savings to all passengers in the form of even lower air fares next winter.”

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