Michael O'Leary

The Irish airline has decided to make a major change that will impact their passengers from 12 November onwards. Here’s everything you need to know about the new system

Ryanair passengers have been given a last-minute warning about a major change the airline is making in a matter of days.

Passengers flying with the Irish airline any time from 12 November onwards will need to follow a new rule – and not everyone is happy about it.

The budget airline has announced it is ditching physical boarding passes and going completely digital, which means paper print-outs will be a thing of the past. Travellers will now be required to show their boarding passes through the Ryanair app.

The company hopes to cut around 300 tonnes of paper annually by switching to digital, with Ryanair CMO Dara Brady explaining the airline settled on November 12 because it’s a quieter time for travel.

However, many have expressed concern about the potential challenges for elderly passengers who might not use the internet or possess smartphones.

Ryanair’s boss, Michael O’Leary, has now sought to reassure passengers with anxieties about the compulsory smartphone boarding passes. He said: “Almost 100 per cent of passengers have smartphones, and we want to move everybody onto the smartphone technology.

“The big concern that people have is: ‘What happens if I lose my battery or whatever, I lose my phone?’ reports Wales Online.

“If you lose your phone, no issue. As long as you’ve checked in before you get to the airport, we’ll reissue a paper boarding pass at the airport free of charge. But you have to check in before you get to the airport.

“Also, if your battery dies or something happens, once you’ve checked in, we’ll have your sequence number anyway at the boarding gate, we’ll take you, you’ll get on. So nobody should worry about it.

“Just make sure you check in online before you get to the airport, and then all will be fine.”

Guidance on Ryanair’s website echoes this, adding: “If you have already checked in online and you lose your smartphone or tablet (or it dies), your details are already on our system and you will be assisted at the gate.”

The website also emphasises the importance of completing their online check-in. “All Ryanair passengers will still receive email reminders to check-in online 48 and 24hrs pre-departure.

“If any passenger arrives at the airport but hasn’t checked in online (having ignored these reminders), they will still be required to pay the airport check-in fee.”

Currently, the fee is set at £55/€55 per passenger for most flights. However, passengers flying out of Spain are obliged to pay £30/€30, while those departing from Austria will be hit with a £40/€40 charge.

There are two exceptions to the new digital boarding pass rule; the first is passengers flying to Albania. Authorities there have insisted passengers present paper passes until March 2026, after which they’ve agreed passes can be digital.

Morocco has the same paper pass policy as Albania, however, it won’t be changing its rules to fit Ryanair’s new paperless policy. Michael O’Leary has confirmed the airline will make exceptions in this case and accept physical passes for flights to the African country.

The budget airline is making a big change to tickets at most airports

Ryanair is set to make a significant change to its ticketing system, effective from November 12. Starting from this date, the airline will only issue ‘100% Digital Boarding Passes’ (DBP), and physical tickets will no longer be accepted at most airports.

This scheme, initially scheduled for May 2025, seeks to help eliminate certain charges and save around 300 tonnes of paper each year, while allowing travellers to receive direct flight updates. But if you’re concerned about the practical aspects, don’t worry.

The Mirror has summarised three main questions and answers regarding the upcoming change, using official information from Ryanair. You can also learn more about the boarding pass change on the airline’s website here

1. How can I get a digital boarding pass?

Ryanair passengers can check in online at Ryanair.com or via the Ryanair App, which is available on Apple’s App Store and Google Play. The Express reports that passengers should complete this process before arriving at the airport to avoid extra charges.

After check-in, a DBP will automatically appear in the Ryanair App. You should present this at airport security and the boarding gate before your flight. The budget airline stated that this method is ‘quicker, easier,’ and results in ‘less stress’ compared to using paper tickets.

2. What happens if my phone dies or I lose it before boarding?

Losing your mobile phone can be a stressful experience, but according to Ryanair’s boss Michael O’Leary, it won’t stop you from catching your flight.

In a conversation on The Independent’s daily travel podcast, he explained: “The big concern that people have is: ‘What happens if I lose my battery or what if I lose my phone?’

“…If you lose your phone, no issue. As long as you’ve checked in before you got to the airport, we’ll reissue a paper boarding pass at the airport free of charge.”

Even if your mobile runs out of juice, O’Leary pointed out that staff will have each passenger’s ‘sequence number’ at the departure gate. This means you should still be able to board without it, so ‘nobody should worry’.

Guidance on Ryanair’s website echoes this, adding: “If you have already checked in online and you lose your smartphone or tablet (or it dies), your details are already on our system and you will be assisted at the gate.”

3. What if the airport Wi-Fi is poor, or I have no mobile data?

Ryanair has reassured passengers that once they’ve completed online check-in, their DBP will be accessible offline within the Ryanair App. However, its website guidance emphasises: “All Ryanair passengers will still receive email reminders to check-in online 48 and 24hrs predeparture.

“If any passenger arrives at airport but hasn’t checked in online (having ignored these reminders), they will still be required to pay the airport check-in fee.”

Currently, the fee is set at £55/€55 per passenger for most flights. However, passengers flying out of Spain are obliged to pay £30/€30, while those departing from Austria will be hit with a £40/€40 charge.

Ryanair had said that 206 million of its passengers already use digital boarding passes, meaning that around 40 million journeys could be disrupted once the new rule kicks in

Fears are growing that people who struggle with technology could be blocked from boarding Ryanair flights.

The budget airline confirmed earlier this week that it will move to 100 per cent digital boarding passes from November 12. That means passengers who have bought tickets will not be able to download and print them prior to getting to the airport. This is an option that 20% of Ryanair passengers currently choose, according to the airline.

Ryanair had said that 206 million of its passengers already use digital boarding passes, meaning that around 40 million journeys could be disrupted.

The company’s boss, Michael O’Leary, said that his 86-year-old mother uses the Ryanair app to travel. However, the move has been met with criticism, with a number of campaign organisations accusing the airline of ageism.

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Groups including Age UK and Silver Voice said the move will make flying harder for those who don’t have access to a smartphone or who struggle with technology.

Dennis Reed, director of Silver Voices, told The Telegraph: “It’s a disgraceful move. They are effectively saying they don’t want older people as passengers. There’s a strong argument to say that it’s discriminatory.”

A number of concerned readers have written to the Mirror to express concerns about the change. One told us: “I have elderly in-laws who live in Spain. They won’t be able to download anything onto their phone. They’re not tech savvy, so what will happen when they travel to the UK? I appreciate the need to utilise technology, but that will not work for a lot of passengers.”

Another added, “This seems discriminatory to people, such as the elderly, who, for various reasons, are not able to use smartphones. By Ryanair’s own admission, some 10% of passengers do not use smartphones currently for boarding passes. It may backfire. Ryanair will lose these customers who will turn to alternative providers without such a policy.”

Mr O’Leary, who is 64 years old, was quick to downplay such fears. He said: “I’m old, and I travel from Ryanair on a very, very regular basis, and I use the Ryanair app, it is pretty simple, pretty easy to use.”

For those particularly concerned about the change, Mr O’Leary said that airline would be flexible, promising that “nobody would be cut off at the knees.” He said that it would be “reasonably forgiving” of people showing up with paper boarding passes through Christmas and into January, Belfast Live reported.

“The critical thing: If you’ve checked online before you get there and you lose your phone, we’ll have your name in the system,” he said.

“We will manually board you at the boarding gate so if your phone goes off, you lose your phone, your phone gets stolen, it is not going to make any issue as long as you checked in online before you got the boarding gate, which, by the way, would eliminate all the check-in fees at the airport.”

Mr O’Leary argued that it was patronising for people to suggest that the elderly would not be able to cope with the change.

“Actually, what you find is the old people firstly just get their kids or grandkids to make bookings for them, and then pretty quickly they’re adopting it themselves. And it is slightly patronising, this notion that old people can’t and won’t move to mobile technology or to the apps,” he said, Mail Online reported.

The change has been delayed by a week to November 12, to avoid UK and Irish half-term.

Ryanair chief marketing officer Dara Brady said: “To ensure a seamless transition to 100 per cent digital boarding passes for our customers, we will make the switch from November 12, which is traditionally a slightly quieter time for travel following the busy mid-term break period.

“Ryanair’s move to 100 per cent digital boarding passes will mean a faster, smarter, and greener travel experience for our customers, streamlined through our best-in-class “myRyanair” app, where passengers will also benefit from helpful in-app features, like Order to Seat and live flight information.”

Ryanair’s move to fully digital boarding passes follows other key ticket industries (such as festivals, music, and sport events) which have successfully switched to digital-only ticketing.

Ryanair has announced that it will be banning the use of paper boarding passes from November 3, with digital boarding passes replacing the paper version

Ryanair has changed the date that it will introduce a significant change that will impact all passengers.

The airline has decided to ban the use of paper boarding passes, which will no longer be accepted at the gate. Instead, digital boarding passes will become mandatory for all.

All travellers flying to or from any destination with Ryanair must download their boarding pass via the Ryanair app. These digital boarding passes will provide real-time updates to “minimise” disruption, store travel documents for “simple” check-in and offer access to features like Travel Assistant, live flight updates and Order To Seat.

Today, the budget airline announced that it “will move to 100% digital boarding passes from Wednesday, November 12, instead of Monday, November 3, ensuring a seamless transition for customers in the less busy travel period after the mid-term break.”

Are you concerned about the new policy? Comment below or email [email protected]

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Ireland’s mid-term break, like the UK’s half-term, takes place at the beginning of October this year.

Earlier this year, Michael O’Leary, the airline’s chief executive, announced his plans to eliminate almost all airport check-in desks, stating it would “create a smoother, easier journey for everybody”. Back in July, the airline estimated that roughly 25% of Ryanair passengers still rely on printed boarding passes.

However, not all countries are ready to accept digital boarding passes. According to Ryanair’s website, airports in Morocco and Turkey (except Dalaman), and Tirana airport in Albania do not yet accept mobile passes. If you’re travelling from or through these airports, you should download your boarding pass from your email confirmation or from the app, print it out and keep it handy.

Speaking to The Independent’s daily travel podcast, Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary said: “Between 85 and 90% of passengers show up with smartphones. Almost 100% of passengers have smartphones, and we want to move everybody onto that the smartphone technology. The big concern that people have is: “What happens if I lose my battery or whatever I lose my phone?”

He added: “If you lose your phone, no issue. As long as you’ve checked in before you got to the airport, we’ll reissue a paper boarding pass at the airport free of charge. But you have to have checked in before you got to the airport.

“Also, if your battery dies or something happens, once you’ve checked in, we’ll have your sequence number anyway at the boarding gate, we’ll take you you’ll get on. So nobody should worry about it. Just make sure you check in online before you get to the airport and then all will be fine.”

The airline claims that utilising the myRyanair app improves passengers’ journey as they gain access to various useful in-app tools and services.

The airline has disclosed plans for new routes for airline passengers looking for a holiday

Ryanair has announced four new routes in Portugal. Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary has unveiled four new routes in Portugal for the winter – including one to an ‘epic hidden gem’.

The airline’s new routes will see flights go from Porto to Gothenburg and Porto to Polish capital Warsaw. It will also see flights run from Faro to Krakow in Poland, and from Funchal to Shannon in Ireland.

Krakow is seen by many as an unheralded but beautiful destination for tourists with stunning castles in the city and surrounding area. It has a medieval Old Town and a rich history.

The Sunshine Seeker travel website describes the city as an ‘epic hidden gem’. In a glowing reference, it says “there’s a treasure trove of hidden gems waiting to be discovered off the beaten path.”

Charlotte, who runs the site, listed the breathtaking Zakrzówek Park and Lake, St. Joseph’s Church and Tyniec Abbey as all spots well worth a visit. She also named museums, galleries and markets – and drew attention to the city’s many moving landmarks to the Holocaust. At least three million Jewish Poles were killed during the Nazi occupation of Poland.

Ryanair and the move to new routes

The airline is omitting Lisbon from the list for new routes. This is because, according to Ryanair’s CEO, ANA, which operates most of the nation’s airports, admits to having reached maximum capacity in the country’s capital.

However, O’Leary insists that Lisbon airport can accommodate more traffic if it were given the slots for takeoff and landing permits that Portuguese airline TAP does not use. He said Montijo Airport, a new airport infrastructure in Lisbon, would be more viable than Alcochete, because it would be operational more quickly.

Meanwhile, Ryanair has bolstered its Madeira operations this winter by putting a third aircraft in Funchal (FNC) and adding a new route, part of 171 routes across Portugal. The news comes as man air carriers have increased their routes this winter to Spain.

That has happened after Ryanair said it would cut around 600,000 seats to and from the country, as well as about 400,000 seats to and from the Canary Islands. That change is part of a disagreement with another airport operator.

Vueling, Iberia Express, and Binter have added 434,000 extra seats compared to last autumn and winter already. Other airlines, including Volotea and Wizz Air, have also expressed a desire to fill part of this gap.

Ryanair has blamed the Spanish airport operator Aena for the move – and criticised its decision to raise the fees it imposes on airlines. Ryanair has, in addition, shut its two-aircraft base in Santiago, located in northwest Spain, and put a halt to all flights to Vigo and Tenerife North.

Ryanair’s chief executive, Eddie Wilson, said AENA’s decision to ramp up airport charges by 6.62% as “excessive”. The Minister of Transport, Óscar Puente, said if Ryanair leaves certain airports, other airlines will take on that capacity. “The king is dead, long live the king!” Puente said – attacking the Irish airline’s alleged ‘blackmail’.

AENA’s president, Maurici Lucena, accused Ryanair of distorting the figures. He said the airline was attempting to ‘make more money’ at the expense of taxpayers.

A travel expert has advised people heading off on holiday to use a handy tool to check their luggage amid Ryanair’s plans to pay staff to check for oversized bags

Holidaymakers worried about being stung by hefty excess baggage fees at the airport have been advised to carry out a vital check using two “trustworthy” items. A travel expert issued the guidance following news that Ryanair is thinking about increasing bonuses for staff who catch passengers with overweight bags.

The subject of extra fees has been a sore spot for money-conscious travellers in recent years given different airlines have different allowances. And recent comments by Michael O’Leary, the airline’s CEO, will do little to calm the nerves of those flying off on their summer holidays.

To avoid getting stung by such fees, Paul Stewart, the founder of travel company MyBaggage, suggested people check their luggage’s weight at home using two simple items instead of using the facilities at the airport.

“Investing in a trustworthy luggage scale and measuring tape is the best course of action,” he said. “Check your bags at home rather than at the airport. In order to account for scale differences between your home scale and the airline’s equipment, I always advise packing a little under the weight limit.”

The travel guru added: “If at all possible, opt for soft-sided luggage rather than hard cases because the former are more accommodating if you have to fit them into sizers. Consider wearing your heaviest shoes and jacket while travelling rather than packing them, and pack your heaviest items in your carry-on rather than checked luggage.”

Luggage scales can be bought for as little as £5.99 on Amazon and avoid the risk of being fined £70.

In addition to weighing your luggage at home, Paul also suggested the time-honoured tradition of reading up each airline’s policies as they can vary between carriers and routes, reports Bristol Live. He said: “Document the size and weight of your luggage at home as proof in case of any disagreements.”

Stewart’s advice came after O’Leary discussed the possibility of improving incentives for staff in an attempt to relieve the pressure of excess baggage on his airline.

In an interview with RTE’s Morning Ireland, the low-cost carrier’s CEO said: “We are happy to incentivise our [staff] with a share of those excess baggage fees, which we think will decline over the coming year or two. It is about €1.50 [£1.30] per bag – and we’re thinking of increasing it, so we eliminate it.”

At present, airline employees earn around £1.30 per item for flagging oversized bags, which is capped at £70 per month.

“We’re flying largely full flights, about half the passengers can bring two bags and the other half can only bring one – because that’s all that fits in the plane. We’re already struggling with that amount of baggage,” he shared.

Ryanair current permits each traveller to take one small personal item aboard, which must slot beneath the seat, weigh no more than 10kg and conform to measurements of 40cm x 20cm x 25cm.

Passengers who opt for the priority boarding service at additional expense can bring the same sized item, plus a 10kg case (55cm x 40cm x 20cm), which goes in the overhead compartment. This upgrade also grants flyers first access to the aircraft via the priority boarding lane at departure gates.

If crew members determine a traveller’s luggage fails to comply with its rules, passengers could be fined £70.

However, the Ryanair CEO’s bonus comments alarmed Stewart, who argued this strategy was merely “the tip of the iceberg” and feared other budget carriers would soon jump on the bandwagon.

“When airline management implements bonuses for spotting baggage abuses, staff enforcement will obviously become more stringent,” he said. “As for Ryanair, I think this is just the tip of the iceberg. Once other low-cost airlines realise the potential for profit, they will most likely follow suit.

“Instead of giving passengers the benefit of the doubt, staff are now actively seeking out reasons to impose fees, and the definition of ‘suitable baggage’ is getting more and more restrictive. Travellers must now pack and measure much more precisely as a result of this change.”

The days of being charged additional fees for your hand luggage on flights could soon be a thing of the past – at least in the EU

UK holidaymakers have been warned of a significant change to hand luggage rules on flights to Europe. The BBC has highlighted a considerable shift in hand luggage regulations for European Union flights. The era of being slapped with extra charges for your cabin baggage on flights may soon be over – at least within the EU.

On June 24, 2025, legislators voted in favour of a proposal that would allow passengers to bring a small carry-on bag weighing up to 7kg (15.4lbs) onto their flight free of charge, even on budget airlines. This development comes as Ryanair‘s chief, Michael O’Leary, has fired back at ‘unimplementable’ proposals that could permit each plane passenger to bring two free cabin bags on board.

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This development comes as Ryanair‘s chief, Michael O’Leary, has fired back at ‘unimplementable’ proposals that could permit each plane passenger to bring two free cabin bags on board, reports Birmingham Live.

During Ryanair’s earnings call for the first quarter of 2026, its CEO vehemently criticised the ‘impractical’ move. As per Travel Weekly, he stated: “The idea that everyone is entitled to two free bags on board is unimplementable – they don’t fit in the aircraft.

“There’s not room on largely full aircraft for one small carry-on bag and one large trolley bag. About 50 per cent of the passengers can bring a trolley bag and we do that using the priority boarding service.

“Any rules that would alter that would be infringing EU rules guaranteeing the freedom of airlines to set pricing and policies, and we don’t believe that will happen.”

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Ourania Georgoutsakou, managing director of Airlines For Europe, Europe’s largest airline association, expressed her concern: “Europe’s airline market is built on choice. Forcing a mandatory trolley bag strips passengers of that choice and obliges passengers to pay for services they may not want or need,”.

She further questioned: “What’s next? Mandatory popcorn and drinks as part of your cinema ticket? The European Parliament should let travellers decide what services they want, what services they pay for and, importantly, what services they don’t.”

Meanwhile, Mr O’Leary announced his consideration to increase the incentive to “eliminate the scourge of passengers with excess baggage. I think it’s unlikely to play out but there’s clearly going to be some kind of negotiation between the parliament and the commission on passenger rights.”

By eliminating carry-on baggage fees, airlines will make travelling abroad easier. Even better, it will save them from spending hundreds of pounds to send off a small piece of luggage.