Ryanair’s additional charges are scandalous and their profits sky-high – we’ve created a monster

A £110 charge for printing out tickets imposed on a couple who inadvertently downloaded the wrong documents is just the latest in a series of outrages by the budget airline, writes James Moore. But perhaps we’re the ones to blame for forking out

Is it a bird? Is it a cheap plane? No, it’s loads of hidden fees and charges (Getty)

Stories of nightmare Ryanair experiences seem as much a part of the British summertime as rain stopping play at the cricket, over-priced beer and heroic sporting failure.

The most recent incident proves that, incredibly, it is still possible for this company to find new depths to plumb.

An elderly couple, who’d inadvertently downloaded the wrong documents, were hit with a £110 charge just to have their tickets printed at the airport so they could check in. The company’s response to the resulting furore can be filed under adding (grievous) insult to Ruth and Peter Jaffe’s injury. “We regret that these passengers ignored their email reminder and failed to check-in online,” its statement read. This came after a patronising explanation of how it works when you fly Ryanair.