25 July 2007: Hidden fares swelled Ryanair's coffers by some €109m last year as the airline charged passengers for everything from handling credit cards to carrying luggage.

New figures from a leading aviation analyst show that these hidden fares now make up about 40% of what Ryanair has been calling "ancillary revenue". An industry-wide report on low cost airlines' ancillary revenue, highlights that there are genuine ancillaries that earn revenue from offering the customer a useful service or product related to air travel - car hire, rail tickets, insurance policies, and on board food.

At the same time, hidden fares are charges introduced for something which was previously free, for example credit card fees, charges for excess baggage and sports equipment, and even "infant fees".

"Making passengers pay for the right to pay is in our view nothing other than a hidden price rise, a hidden fare increase", says the well respected financial analyst ABN-Amro.

Ryanair's increased hidden fares come at a time when the company is making increasingly negative noises about yields, the difference between average fares and average costs. Ryanair has refused any contact with the analysts.