If you’ve ever searched flights within Europe, you know the thrill. You type in Dublin to Edinburgh, and up pops a Ryanair fare so low it feels like a typo. A 40-minute flight for $99.90? For our family of five, that’s about $500 to hop over to Scotland. Book it.
That’s exactly what we did. And then the fees started adding up. By the time we landed in Edinburgh, that $499.50 in airfare had become $1,224.06 out the door — $724.56 in add-ons and taxes on top of the tickets. The extras cost us more than the flights.
I’m a numbers person, so let’s walk through exactly where that money went — including the one fee that was entirely my fault and stung quite a bit.
The base fare is just for the seat
Here’s the thing about Ryanair: the fare gets you a seat on the plane and basically nothing else. Everything you might reasonably expect from a flight — a checked bag, a seat next to your family, sometimes even your carry-on — is an add-on. And with five travelers, every fee gets multiplied.
First, I upgraded all five of us to Ryanair Plus at $45.30 per person, which includes a 20kg checked bag. That’s $226.50, and honestly, that one isn’t too bad. Many airlines charge for a checked bag now.
Seat selection ran $4.65 to $5.23 per person, $23.83 total for the family. Of everything on this receipt, that stings the least. Twenty-four dollars to keep five people together is a fair trade.
Then came the cabin bags, and here’s where it gets nuanced. Ryanair’s free allowance is exactly one small bag per person that fits under the seat. The boys’ backpacks squeaked by as their included small bag — free. But my daughter and I were each carrying a purse and a backpack, and one free bag means one. So we paid $20.33 each for “Priority & 2 Cabin Bags.” In hindsight, we might have consolidated and skipped it, but if you’re a purse-plus-backpack traveler, know that Ryanair counts that as two bags — you’re paying either way.
My husband and one of our sons brought golf clubs, which added $48.00 apiece. Sports equipment fees aren’t unique to Ryanair, but that’s another $96 on a receipt that was getting longer by the minute.
Add in $22.52 of taxes and fees on the booking, and the receipt was complete.
The $315.05 mistake I made so you don’t have to
Then there’s the fee that inspired this entire post.
Ryanair requires you to check in online — through their app or website — before you get to the airport, and the check-in window closes two hours before departure. Miss it, and you pay an airport check-in fee to have an agent do it at the desk.
Our fee was $63.01. Per person. Times five.
That’s why our receipt shows two separate charges: $909.01 when we booked in May, and a second charge of $315.05 on the day we flew — five airport check-in fees, rung up right there at the desk in Dublin. Sixty-three dollars a head for something every other airline I’ve ever flown does for free. It never occurred to me that this could be a premium service.
Now, in fairness — and this is the part where I own it — Ryanair told me. The check-in reminders were sitting right there in my email. I just didn’t read them, because we were on vacation, and who’s combing through airline emails on vacation? Apparently, Ryanair passengers. That’s who.
The full damage
| Line item | Per person | Family total |
|---|---|---|
| Basic fare | $99.90 | $499.50 |
| Plus upgrade (20kg bag) | $45.30 | $226.50 |
| Airport check-in fee | $63.01 | $315.05 |
| Priority & 2 cabin bags | $20.33 × 2 travelers | $40.66 |
| Golf equipment | $48.00 × 2 bags | $96.00 |
| Reserved seats | $4.65–$5.23 | $23.83 |
| Taxes and fees | — | $22.52 |
| Total paid | $1,224.06 |
Bottom line: $499.50 in fares, $724.56 in everything else. Our all-in cost was $244.81 per person — nearly two and a half times the advertised fare — for a flight that spends about as much time in the air as an episode of your favorite show.
And here’s the twist I didn’t expect to write: the flight itself was genuinely pleasant. The plane was nice, and honestly, the seats may have been more comfortable than what we’ve had on Aer Lingus. I knew going in that the $99 airfare was a very basic rate. Just keep that in mind that what you see during your first search is likely not what you’re going to pay at the end. And PLEASE remember to check in online before you head to the airport!
The flight was only 40 minutes, but this lesson will last a lifetime.
