Ryanair is changing things up for passengers and some people will not be happy
(Image: Vladimir Razguliaev via Getty Images)
Ryanair passengers need to be prepared as a new regulation comes into force this month. From Tuesday, November 10, airport check-in and bag-drop desks will shut 60 minutes before departure, rather than the existing 40 minutes.
The adjustment means travellers dropping off luggage will need to have their bags processed earlier than they might expect, even if they’ve already completed online check-in. For a flight due to depart at 10am, the cut-off will shift from 9.20am to 9am.
Ryanair transported 206.5 million passengers during the 2025 calendar year. Travel expert Arber Abdullahu, from TripSIM, has advised holidaymakers to verify their airport plans before departure, especially if they’ve arranged a transfer. He said that having a boarding pass on your mobile doesn’t guarantee a checked bag has been processed or that passengers can turn up at the desk at their convenience.
“Checking in online can make you feel that everything is sorted. But if you’re taking a suitcase that needs to go in the hold, you still have a separate deadline to meet at the airport,” he said.
Arriving at the airport and reaching the appropriate desk aren’t necessarily one and the same, as travellers may need to park, catch a shuttle, locate their terminal and join a queue. Anyone depending on a transfer that lands shortly before the deadline should reassess the timings instead of treating the cut-off as their target arrival time, reports the Mirror.
The change may also trip up travellers on their homebound flight if they’re overseas when the new regulation takes effect. Anyone departing before November 10 but coming back on or after that date needs to verify the deadline for both journeys and ensure their hotel transfer allows adequate time to get to the airport.
“Don’t assume the routine that worked on your outbound flight will work for your return. Check your hotel pick-up time and tell the transfer provider which flight you are taking,” Mr Abdullahu said.
Ryanair says the revised cut-off is designed to provide passengers with additional time to navigate airport security and passport-control queues before arriving at their departure gate. The airline says that approximately 20 per cent of its customers check in luggage, while those who complete online check-in and fly without checked baggage won’t be impacted by the bag-drop modification.
Travellers must bear in mind that online check-in operates under a different deadline and stays accessible until two hours prior to departure. Anyone utilising airport check-in or bag drop facilities ought to confirm the most recent guidance for their flight and factor in sufficient time to finish each phase of their journey.
