Ryanair recently changed one of its rules
Ryanair passengers may not know about this(Image: Bradley Caslin via Getty Images)
A Ryanair rule change could see some holidaymakers charged around £55 extra at the airport. The budget airline is well known for its no-frills approach, regularly slapping on extra fees for things like luggage and choosing your seat in advance.
Currently, passengers travelling on standard tickets are only allowed one small personal item as hand luggage without incurring any additional costs. Should that item be larger than the permitted dimensions, it will need to go into the aircraft hold, at an extra charge.
While plenty of travellers are well aware of this policy, there is another Ryanair requirement that could leave you out of pocket. Anyone flying with Ryanair must check in online. Passengers can then store their boarding pass on a mobile phone or tablet.
In November 2025, Ryanair has moved to “100% digital boarding passes via its app, eliminating paper passes to reduce costs, improve service, streamline rebooking, and save 300 tonnes of paper annually”. Online check-in opens 60 days before departure for those who have bought allocated seats, or 24 hours beforehand for passengers happy to accept a free seat assignment.
Regardless of seating preferences, the online check-in window shuts two hours before the scheduled departure time. Once online check-in has been completed, boarding passes are issued, and passengers are required to save a digital copy. Failing to check in online will land you with an airport check-in fee of £55, or the euro equivalent.
To sidestep this charge, make sure you have a valid boarding pass in hand before setting off for the airport, reports Chronicle Live. For those travelling without a smartphone or tablet, Ryanair will issue a free boarding pass, so long as online check-in has been completed before arriving at the airport.
Ryanair said it will send passengers a reminder to check in online shortly before their scheduled departure.