Ryanair to abolish check-in desks

"The Stainless Steel Cat" wrote in message
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In article
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Lord Truscott of Brownenvelope wrote:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7903656.stm
Ryanair to abolish check-in desks
Ryanair aircraft
Ryanair says it wants to abolish check-in desks to save money

Ryanair has confirmed it plans to close all of its airport check-in
desks by the end of the year in a bid to reduce the cost of its
flights.

From the start of 2010, all Ryanair passengers will need to check in
online in order to confirm their flights.

Officials at the Irish airline said that, by reducing its costs at
airports, savings will be passed on to passengers through lower fares.

The carrier said that 75% of its passengers already checked in online.

Spokesman Stephen McNamara said the airline saw the move as the
"logical next step" in an effort to pass on savings to passengers
through reduced fares.

And a few "logical steps" down the road (runway?):
"Ryanair have today announced that all passengers will be expected to use
online credit card services to pay for their flights then... stay at home.
A spokesman said, 'By eliminating the need to actually carry people from
one place to another we can pass on even more savings to passengers, while
retaining the ability to treat them with utter disdain as we have always
striven to.'"

You may think this is was joke, but on a subject that is OT to the thread,
but not to the (travel) group, I have noticed an increase in occasions at
museums/historic properties where they consider that the artefacts that they
are displaying are too precious for me to go and view them in person and I
am only given the opportunity to view on a video link.

They don't seem to understand that if I can only get to see a TV program of
the items in question I would prefer to do it in the comfort of my living
room and not travel 1000 miles to do so.

tim