The Irish airline insists it is still driving down fares - but it has also found another new way to add charges to the ticket price.

Passengers who previously checked-in online with hand baggage only were allowed priority boarding. But as of yesterday, they will now have to pay an extra £4.

The charge is the latest in a long line that Ryanair has dreamed up in the past six years. They include charges for paying by credit card, for checking-in at the airport and for checking in luggage.

Opt-out insurance and onboard scratch cards are others and, in future, charges for using mobile phones inflight will be added. The airline is setting prices next week.

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• Ryanair to charge for airport check-in

It is estimated that Ryanair now have 15 or more separate taxes and charges that now usually costs more than the ticket itself.

In February, Ryanair reported that it carried 12.4million passengers during the third quarter and ancillary revenues - money raised from extra charges - rose 30 per cent to €111million. Overall revenue was €569million.

But the airline has hit back with typical bullishness, saying that its charges are optional and it is up to the passenger if they choose to check-in with baggage at the airport.

Meanwhile, Ryanair reduced prices by four per cent in the last quarter, said new Director of Commercial Revenue, Sinead Finn.

"We are an industry under pressure and it's not going to be a nice situation for the next two years.

"We are driving airfares down and our main business is still selling airline seats - but we will also sell ancilliaries, and that is where the future lies."

The airline is clear that it prefers passengers to fly with only hand baggage, which saves turnaround time for the planes, check-in counters, staff - and fuel.

"I think it is only fair - if you don't take a bag that needs to be checked-in, you pay a lesser fare as you don't burn so much fuel," added Finn.

Apart from the passenger charges, Ryanair's ancillary revenue approach also includes sales of hotel rooms and car hire from its website - Ryanair is now the biggest supplier of sales to Hertz in Europe, said Finn.

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