Whether Ryanair can be described as a ‘low-cost airline’ is open to question after it announced it would charge passengers to check-in online.

The fee was brought in late last month and is compulsory as the airline will scrap all its airport check-in desks and only offer a baggage drop off facility at airports.

Passengers will face a charge of £5/€5 per person, per flight, on bookings, although promotional fares of 'Free', '€1' and '€5' will include web check in on a free of charge basis.

Online check-in will require people to print off boarding documentation, but if they are not able to access a computer or printer, then they face a £40 charge at the airport for the printing of a boarding card.

Ryanair has also said it will no longer accept bookings for unaccompanied minors (under 16 years old) while all new bookings will require passengers, including infants and those people on domestic flights, to hold a valid passport or valid national identity card.

Europe - USA

There was some good news for airline passengers travelling across the Atlantic after the signing of an agreement between Air France-KLM and Delta Air Lines.

The two companies say it will improve flight options between North America and Europe with passengers set to benefit from access to a network offering over 200 flights and approximately 50,000 seats a day.

Belfast - Paris

The Irish flag carrier Aer Lingus has said it will drop its link between Belfast International Airport and Paris later this year for a four-month period.

Although the airline has insisted that routes are often dropped over the winter period, it remains committed to Belfast.

TGV Rail Offers

The French national rail operator SNCF has launched special family-friendly TGV trains which will offer reduced prices over the summer period, as well as goodie bags for children.

The TGV Family service will be run for a trial period and operates from Paris Gare de Lyon to Marseilles, as well as Montpellier via Nîmes.

A total of 4,400 seats will be available on Saturday services running between July 4 and August 1, 2009 at 9.20am and 2.16pm.

LD Lines - Dover/Boulogne

Finally, the high speed LD Lines ferry, the Norman Arrow, took to the seas between Dover and Boulogne on Saturday (June 6), offering passengers a journey time of one hour, at speeds of up to 40 knots.

By Craig McGinty of This French Life, offering news, advice and information for people wanting to live life the French way.