'No cost' flights from Ryanair - but passengers will incur other costs

Ryanair plans to go from a low- cost airline to a "no- cost airline" - making tickets free but earning more from add-ons such as food and luggage charges.

Chief executive Michael O'Leary announced yesterday: "It's our ultimate ambition to get to a stage where the fare is free."

But Mr O'Leary confirmed that the airline's check-in charge would double from £2 to £4 only months after its introduction.

There are also hefty charges for baggage.

Passengers who book online and travel with only hand-luggage are exempt from the charge - introduced in August - as they save Ryanair having to spend more on staff.

Currently 9 per cent of passengers meet these criteria, but Mr O'Leary wants the proportion to reach 40 per cent.

He said: "We are upfront about it - the baggage charges at Ryanair will rise.

"The check-in charges will rise. Until we get to 40 per cent doing it online over the next year or two - that (charge) will double."

Mr O'Leary yesterday hailed the charging experiment as a success, saying the numbers checking in over the Internet had doubled in the first half of the year.

And he is unrepentant about baggage fees, saying: 'I can go away for two weeks with just my overnight bag.

"Instead of packing a hairdryer, why not buy one when you get there?"

The airline's pre-tax profits have risen by 23.5 per cent to £320million for the first six months of this year.

Ryanair's revenue from 'scheduled services', which includes ticket sales and baggage charges, hit £905million, up 20 per cent from £760million.

But the boom in in-flight sales of food and drinks, and services such as car rental and travel insurance, have helped boost "ancillary revenues" to nearly £175.5million - up a staggering 54 per cent from £114million for the same period last year.

It means £1 in every £6 now earned by the budget airline comes from non-ticket areas.

Passengers would still have to pay airport charges under a free-fares policy.

Already Ryanair tempts flyers with no-frills tickets at just £1 each way - plus taxes.

But customers can still spend big onboard, with sandwiches costing three times as much as the basic advertised price of a ticket, drinks, gifts - and even bingo.

The airline is also testing a service to allow passengers to use mobile phones during flights.