Low-cost flight fees at Charleroi: what Ryanair and Wizz Air charge on top

Which fees can be added to the price of a flight from Charleroi?

On our records of flights from 30 October to 9 November 2026, Ryanair operates 739 of the 891 departures from Charleroi and Wizz Air 116. This guide therefore relies on their two fee tables, checked on 7 November 2026; Ryanair's shows an update of 20 October 2026.

The principle is the same at both: the basic ticket covers the passenger and a small bag under the seat. Everything else is an option, far cheaper bought when booking than later, and above all than at the airport.

One line is easy to miss at Wizz Air: an administration fee of €8 to €13 per flight and per passenger, whichever channel you book through. Paying by card can add a percentage too: 0.20% to 2.35% at Wizz Air, and a 'cost-related' percentage at Ryanair, which publishes no figure.

How much does airport check-in cost?

At Ryanair, not having checked in online costs €55 per passenger per flight at the desk, €30 from Spain and €40 from Austria. Online check-in is free and closes 2 hours before departure. It opens 60 days ahead if you have bought a seat; otherwise Ryanair gives you a free seat when you check in between 72 and 2 hours before the flight.

At Wizz Air, online or app check-in is free until 3 hours before departure. It opens 30 days ahead if you have bought a seat, 24 hours ahead if not. Airport check-in costs €15 if bought in advance on wizzair.com, and €40 to €50 if paid on the spot.

That last point changes this week. Ryanair's terms of carriage state that for all passengers flying from 10 November 2026, the desks close strictly 60 minutes before departure instead of 40. The same text keeps 40 minutes for bag drop, so if in doubt, aim for 60. Wizz Air already lists Charleroi desks opening 150 minutes and closing 60 minutes before the flight. Our guide on how early to arrive and our leaving-time calculator take this into account.

Forgotten boarding pass or flat phone: do you have to pay?

Not any more at Ryanair, provided you checked in online. Since 12 November 2025, Ryanair no longer accepts printed boarding passes: the pass is digital, in the app. If you checked in online and cannot show it, its terms provide for a replacement at no cost, as long as there is enough time before departure. The exception is departures from Morocco, where online check-in gives a confirmation that you swap for a printed pass at the desk.

At Wizz Air, the pass can be in the app, a PDF or printed. If you lose it, download it again from your account with the confirmation code and the passenger's name. If the app shows 'NOT A BOARDING CARD' or 'INVALID', your ticket is still valid: go to the desk 3 hours before the flight for a document check, free of charge.

The real risk is the boarding gate: Ryanair closes it 30 minutes before departure and will not let you board after that.

What does a bag refused at the gate or added at the airport cost?

This is where the gaps are widest: the same bag costs far more at the gate than when you book. Amounts from both airlines' tables on 7 November 2026:

At Ryanair, the 10 kg case without an option costs €35.99 if you leave it at the bag drop desk before security, instead of €46 to €75 at the gate, where it may also be refused. An oversized bag is anything over 55 x 40 x 20 cm. At Wizz Air, hold bags cost more in high season, the next of which runs from 15 December 2026 to 10 January 2027.

Exact sizes: our cabin bag guide. Desks and terminals: our Ryanair and Wizz Air at Charleroi guide.

Changing a name or date, or missing your flight: what does it cost?

These amounts are per passenger. At Ryanair a flight change is charged per one-way flight, and at Wizz Air flight and name changes are charged per flight, so a changed return trip costs twice.

Before paying a name change for a simple typo, read the conditions: Wizz Air allows one free correction per booking on its website, up to 3 hours before departure, if it involves no more than 3 characters, completing an abbreviated name or swapping first name and surname. At Ryanair, rebooking after a missed flight is only offered from 40 minutes before departure until 1 hour after.

If the airline delays or cancels your flight, these fees do not apply in the same way: your EU rights provide for another flight or a refund, as set out in our passenger rights guide.

Seats, babies, bookings: the other lines in the table

• Chosen seat: €3 to €27.50 at Ryanair for a standard seat bought when booking, €4 to €60 at Wizz Air. At Ryanair, children aged 2 to 11 must sit next to an adult; with random allocation this is free.
• Baby under 2 on your lap: €25 per one-way flight at Ryanair, €35 per flight at Wizz Air.
• Booking made at the airport: €50 at Ryanair.
• Ticket bought on a third-party site with no agreement with Ryanair: the airline requires customer verification. The online express version costs €0.59, the standard version goes through a form, and doing it at the desk costs the same as airport check-in.
• Refund of taxes on an unused flight: Ryanair keeps a €20 administration fee.

What does EU law say about the price shown?

Article 23 of EU Regulation 1008/2008 requires a flight departing from the Union to be shown at its final price, including all unavoidable taxes, charges and supplements. Optional supplements must be stated clearly at the start of the booking and are only added if you accept them on an opt-in basis.

The EU Court of Justice ruled on 18 September 2014 (case C-487/12, Vueling) that an airline may charge separately for checked baggage. It added that hand baggage is in principle an essential part of carriage and cannot be subject to a supplement, provided it meets reasonable requirements of weight and size.