Ryanair, the Irish no-frills airline which pioneered charging passengers for checking-in luggage, is going a step further, with plans to charge customers for using the airport check-in desk.

The company, which carried more than 45 million passengers in the last 12 months, said today it would charge passengers an additional £2, or €3, if they choose to use the airport's check-in facilities.

Those passengers who choose to check-in at the airport will also have to wait to board the plane, until all those who checked-in online have boarded.

The airline already charges passengers £5 for every bag they take on their flight. The charge applies to each single leg of a journey, making it £10 per bag for a return trip. Passengers with bags weighing more than 15kg must also pay an extra £5.50 for each kilogram above the limit.

While those charges exclude hand luggage, current Department for Transport restrictions mean only one bag may be taken on board the aircraft by each passenger.

The airline introduced its luggage charges in March last year. In February British Airways admitted it would charge passengers extra if they split their baggage allowance into two or more bags.

A spokesman for the airline said the new check-in charge reflects the cost of providing such facilities.

Ryanair currently charges £4 for passengers checking-in online but will scrap the charge from September.

News of the charge, which will apply for all bookings made on or after Thursday September 20, comes in the same week that the Advertising Standards Authority upheld a complaint against Ryanair, for claiming that it was quicker and cheaper than Eurostar on the London to Brussels route. The ASA said Ryanair's advertisements failed to acknowledge the cost and time involved in getting to Stansted airport and from its base near Brussels into the centre of town.

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