Travel Tips

Ryanair passengers travelling with luggage face stricter rules starting tomorrow

Budget airline Ryanair is introducing a major rule change starting tomorrow, Tuesday, November 10, 2026. It will require millions of holidaymakers to adjust their arrival times at airports.

From tomorrow morning, physical check-in desks and airport bag drop services at all Ryanair airports will close exactly 60 minutes before the scheduled departure time. This moves the deadline up by 20 minutes from the previous 40-minute cut-off. Ryanair has warned that anyone who reaches the desk in this final hour will be turned away and may miss their flight.

Who is affected by the new deadline?

The rule change specifically impacts the estimated 20% of Ryanair passengers who travel with checked luggage, such as 10kg or 20kg hold bags, or those who require in-person assistance at the airport terminal. If you have checked luggage, you must have your bags fully processed through the drop system before the one-hour countdown begins.

The 80% of passengers travelling cabin-bag-only are unaffected. If you only have hand luggage and check in online, your process remains unchanged; you can bypass the desks and proceed straight to airport security as usual.

Why is the rule changing?

According to Ryanair’s Chief Marketing Officer, Dara Brady, the buffer is intended to create a smoother terminal experience. By forcing luggage to be dropped off earlier, the airline aims to reduce the number of travellers who miss their flights due to peak-time bottlenecks at security and passport control checkpoints.

Wider industry guidelines for online check-in have not changed. Passengers can still complete their check-in via the Ryanair App up to two hours before departure.

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However, the airline strongly urges anyone checking a bag this winter to treat the 60-minute mark as a hard cutoff and aim to arrive at the airport at least two hours before departure to account for potential queues.

In a statement on the Ryanair website, Ryanair CMA Dara Brady said: “From Tuesday, 10 November, bag drop services at all Ryanair airports will close 60 minutes before scheduled departure, instead of the current 40 minutes.

“This small change will give the 20 per cent of Ryanair passengers who check in a bag, more time to clear airport security and passport control queues and get to their departure gate before boarding begins, particularly during busy travel periods when airport queues can be longer.”

Ryanair carries approximately 214 million passengers per year. Ryanair and its subsidiary Ryanair UK operate flights from around 21 to 22 airports across the United Kingdom.

A squeeze on European airfares

The adjustment comes alongside a broader warning from CEO Michael O’Leary, who recently alerted European travellers to brace for historic airfare increases. Driven by rising jet fuel costs linked to geopolitical tensions and a reduction in overall European seat capacity due to airline bankruptcies and takeovers, average ticket prices are forecasted to jump by up to 20% over the coming months.

Ryanair has made two changes to how passengers check in to their flights with the budget airline, ahead of a planned extension of the window for its airport bag drop services

Ryanair has changed how passengers randomly get allocated seats, and it’s bad news for those who liked to work the system.

The budget airline has made two big changes to how passengers check in. Firstly, check-in can now be done between two and 72 hours before departure, a significant extension of the 24-hour to two-hour window that has been in place until now. This change will be welcomed by passengers, as it means they can check in more at their leisure, possibly reducing the chance they forget and are forced to pay a late check-in fee.

Ryanair charges an airport check-in fee of £55 or €55 per passenger if they fail to check in online up to two hours before their scheduled departure time

The second change will be less welcome. According to people who flew with the airline over the weekend, passengers who opt for random seat allocation at check-in now receive their seat number three hours before departure, rather than at the moment they check-in.

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Canny travellers keen to avoid paying between £3 and £42.50 extra to choose their seat had been checking in as early as possible to see which seat they are allocated. If they are unhappy with what they get, they then have plenty of time to decide whether to pay to choose a seat instead. The new system makes that much harder.

“This is due to new rule changes which aim to reduce the benefit of not paying for a seat, as now you won’t know until the last minute where you are. This also diminishes the old tricks,” Reddit user Transport Enthusiast wrote. Vernacaian added: “You used to be able to pay to change your seat if you didn’t like the one randomly assigned at check-in. Therefore, if your preference is simply ‘I don’t want a middle seat’ it was worth the gamble of not paying for a seat at the time of booking and seeing what was allocated. Now you’ll need to pay in advance for a seat.”

Travel publication Goosed wrote: “Let’s not dance around it, this is a nudge to buy seats. The whole point of paying for a Ryanair seat for most people isn’t legroom; it’s sitting beside the person they’re traveling with. Under the old system, you could take your chances, see the result a day early, and pay only if the dice went against you.

“That safety net is now much thinner. You can still add a paid seat up to two hours before departure, but if your random seat only appears at the three-hour mark, you’ve roughly an hour to react, and that hour is usually spent in a taxi, on a bus to the airport, or stuck in the security queue. Most couples and groups won’t fancy that gamble, so expect more people to pay for seats at the booking stage instead.”

It is not clear whether the new system is in place across all Ryanair routes or is being trialed on some Dublin-to-UK routes. Ryanair has been asked to clarify the situation.

A spokesperson for the airline told the Mirror: “Passengers who choose not to reserve a seat can now check in between 72 hours and two hours before departure, an extension of the previous 24-hour check-in window. Passengers who do not purchase a reserved seat will continue to receive a seat free of charge through random seat allocation. In line with Ryanair’s policy, these seats are assigned after check-in and between 72 hours and two hours prior to departure.

“This change provides customers with greater flexibility by allowing them to check in earlier ahead of their flight, while customers who wish to select a specific seat can continue to reserve one at any stage before departure.”

It’s not the only change Ryanair is making. From tomorrow, the low-cost airline will close its airport bag drop services 60 minutes before scheduled departure, instead of the current 40-minute rule.

Ryanair passengers checking in luggage will have less time to reach the airport desk under a new deadline

Anyone travelling with Ryanair who leave their airport journey until the last minute could risk missing their flight when a new rule takes effect. From Tuesday, November 10, airport check-in and bag-drop desks will close 60 minutes before departure, instead of the current 40 minutes.

The change means travellers checking in a suitcase will need to get their bags accepted earlier than they may be used to, even if they have already checked in online. For a flight scheduled to leave at 10am, the deadline will move from 9.20am to 9am. Ryanair carried 206.5 million passengers in the 2025 calendar year.

Travel expert Arber Abdullahu, from TripSIM, has urged holidaymakers to check their airport arrangements before setting off, particularly if they have booked a transfer. He warned that having a boarding pass on a phone does not mean a checked bag has been accepted or that passengers can arrive at the desk whenever they like.

“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.

Getting to the airport and reaching the correct desk are not necessarily the same thing, as travellers may need to park, take a shuttle, find their terminal and queue. Anyone relying on a transfer that arrives shortly before the cut-off should review the timings rather than treating the deadline as their target arrival time.

The change could also catch people out on their return journey if they are away when the new rule begins. Someone flying out before November 10 but returning on or after that date should check the deadline for both legs and make sure their hotel pick-up leaves enough time to reach 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 earlier cut-off is intended to give passengers more time to get through airport security and passport-control queues before reaching their departure gate. The airline says around 20 per cent of its passengers check in a bag, while those who check in online and travel without checked luggage will be unaffected by the bag-drop change.

Passengers should remember that online check-in has a separate deadline and remains open until two hours before departure. Anyone using airport check-in or bag drop should check the latest instructions for their flight and allow enough time to complete each stage of the journey.

Passengers travelling with checked luggage face stricter deadlines from November 10

Budget airline Ryanair has confirmed it is making a major change to one of its luggage rules. The upcoming change, set to take place from next month, is expected to affect millions of people who fly with the airline.

Ryanair announced it is changing its airport check-in and bag drop rules, starting November 10, giving passengers less time to drop off their luggage before a flight. The change is hoped to give passengers more time to clear airport queues before takeoff.

Under the new policy, Ryanair will close all airport bag drop desks and physical check-in counters strictly 60 minutes before the scheduled departure time. This is a significant shift from the airline’s previous rule, which allowed passengers to drop off their checked luggage up to 40 minutes before takeoff.

The airline has stated that the extra 20-minute window is being introduced to help operations run more smoothly. If your flight is at 10am, you used to have until 9.20am to drop your bags. Starting November 10, you must have them dropped by 9am.

According to Ryanair, the change is designed to give passengers more time to successfully navigate airport security lines and passport control queues. Ryanair says this should help reduce the number of travellers who miss their flights due to airport delays.

Who is affected by the new rule?

The rule change specifically impacts the estimated 20% of Ryanair passengers who travel with checked luggage or require physical check-in assistance at the airport desk. If you have paid for a 10kg or 20kg checked bag, you must ensure your luggage is fully processed at the bag drop kiosk or desk at least 1 hour before your flight is scheduled to depart.

Ryanair CMO, Dara Brady, said: “From Tues, 10 Nov, bag drop services at all Ryanair airports will close 60 minutes before scheduled departure, instead of the current 40 minutes. This small change will give the 20% of Ryanair passengers who check in a bag, more time to clear airport security and passport control queues and get to their departure gate before boarding begins, particularly during busy travel periods when airport queues can be longer.

“We remind passengers using airport bag drop services to arrive at the airport in good time and ensure they have checked in and dropped their bags before check-in and bag drop closes 60 minutes before departure. The remaining 80% of passengers who check in online and do not check in a bag are unaffected by this change.”

Who can skip the queue?

The vast majority of Ryanair passengers will see no change to their travel routine. Roughly 80% of the airline’s customers travel with cabin baggage only and check in via the official Ryanair app or website. If you are travelling with hand luggage only and have already downloaded your digital boarding pass, you do not need to visit the check-in desks.

You can continue to bypass the counters and head straight through airport security as normal. Ryanair’s standard online check-in timelines remain completely unchanged. Passengers can still check in online via the app or website up to two hours before their scheduled departure.

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What happens if you arrive late?

Passengers are being urged to double-check their airport arrival times ahead of the November 10 deadline. Ryanair is known for its strict enforcement of cut-off times. If you arrive at the bag drop desk less than 60 minutes before your flight, the airline will close the desk, and you will not be allowed to check your luggage.

Missing this deadline will likely result in you being denied boarding, and Ryanair does not offer refunds for missed flights. To ensure a stress-free journey, holidaymakers and business travellers alike are advised to arrive at the airport well in advance of the new one-hour cutoff.

Polo Lam and his girlfriend Laura Matos say they only spent minutes on the phone to check Google Maps and the internet but were stunned at the final cost

A British traveller has warned holidaymakers about the risk of unexpected charges after spending just two hours in Monaco left him and his girlfriend with a £109 (€128.88) phone bill. Polo Lam, 30, from Whitby, North Yorkshire, was travelling across Europe with his girlfriend Laura Matos, 29, in September when the couple made a brief stop in Monaco.

Despite using just 18.66MB of mobile data between them, the pair were left picking up almost £85 (€99.79) in roaming charges, sending their monthly bill soaring to £109 (€128.88), compared with just £25 (€29.18) the previous month. Experts say 18.66MB is roughly the amount of data someone might use scrolling through Instagram for just three to 10 minutes, depending on the content being viewed.

The couple were enjoying a budget-friendly interrail holiday from Barcelona to Vienna, travelling through France, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia and Hungary. While staying in Nice, they decided to visit nearby Menton and make a short stop in Monaco, which hadn’t originally been part of their plans.

Laura, a psychologist and founder of La CoolMente, said: “It was actually my idea to visit Monaco. I’d heard so much about the luxury and the famous casino, and I wanted to see what it was like for myself.”

But it was only when they continued their journey into Italy that Polo checked their mobile account and discovered the their trip had cost more than they bargained for. Speaking to Nomad eSIM, Polo said: “I couldn’t believe it when I saw the bill. We’d only been in Monaco for a few hours, and somehow our phone bill had jumped to £109 (€128.88).

“We’d barely used our phones. We only checked Google Maps and opened Instagram, but that was about it.

“What really scares me is thinking about what could have happened if we’d stayed overnight. If we’d spent a whole day or two there, we could potentially have been looking at a bill running into the hundreds, or even thousands of pounds.

“I’m pretty stingy when it comes to money, so you can imagine how I felt. We’d gone interrailing to have a relatively inexpensive holiday, and suddenly we had this huge phone bill.”

Laura added: “We were both confused about where the charges had come from. We’d only used our phones briefly to find our location, so we felt the bill was completely unreasonable. We kept talking about it for days afterwards because we’d been trying so hard to save money throughout the trip.”

Polo said the unexpected expense put a dampener on their holiday. “The worst part was thinking about what else we could have spent that money on. We were trying to keep costs down, and it would have paid for three or four meals out in some of the places we visited.”

Laura agreed that the money could have been put to much better use. She said: “We’d been avoiding expensive experiences to save money, so it was frustrating to see that money disappear on a phone bill without getting anything enjoyable in return.

“I’d much rather have spent it on a nice meal at a restaurant with a view, visiting a museum or even a more comfortable hotel. When you’re travelling around Europe by interrail, a bit of extra comfort can make a big difference.”

The experience left the couple more cautious about using their phones abroad, particularly when travelling between countries. Polo said: “I’d tell anyone travelling around Europe to check exactly which countries are covered by their mobile plan. Just because somewhere is in Europe doesn’t mean your normal roaming allowance applies. We found that out the expensive way.”

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Tim Page, Marketing Lead at Nomad eSIM, said: “One of the biggest misconceptions about mobile roaming is that travelling within Europe automatically means you’re covered by your usual mobile plan.

“Monaco is a perfect example. Despite being surrounded by France on three sides, it’s not part of the European Union and isn’t automatically covered by the EU’s Roam Like at Home rules. Introduced in June 2017, these rules generally allow customers of EU mobile operators to use their calls, texts and data across EU countries without paying additional roaming charges.

“This means travellers could be using their phones in Nice without additional roaming charges, then cross into Monaco and face significantly higher rates for exactly the same usage. Before travelling, always check which countries are included in your mobile plan, particularly destinations such as Monaco, Andorra and Switzerland.

“Even small amounts of data can result in surprisingly expensive bills, so consider switching off data roaming or using a travel eSIM that specifically covers your destination. If you do receive an unexpected roaming charge, contact your mobile provider as soon as possible. While there’s no guarantee, some providers may be willing to reduce or waive the charges as a goodwill gesture.”

They bought a one-way ticket to Sri Lanka and have been travelling ever since

A couple say they have saved around £36,000 by ditching the UK to travel the world with their children while living out of two suitcases on a budget of just £30 a day.

Ruth and Steven Rowe “sold everything” they owned and bought a one-way ticket to Sri Lanka back in 2023 and have been travelling ever since. They decided to embark upon their globe-trotting adventure after wanting more time with their two children before they started nursery and school.

Ruth was also not a fan of the cold and wet British weather, so the pair are now world-schooling their kids, Aurora, four, and Atlas, three, in exotic locations instead. The family have already been to 17 different countries, ticking off bucket-list destinations such as Costa Rica, Guatemala, Ecuador, and Indonesia.

Saving thousands of pounds a year

They stay four weeks at a time in Airbnbs and have visited the likes of Thailand, Malaysia, Cyprus, USA, Colombia and Peru – all while saving around £12,000 a year. They have spent the last five months living and travelling around India and next year they plan to tour 10 more countries across Europe in a campervan.

Ruth, 34, and Steven, 35, had been renting a barn conversion in the village of Eardisley, Herefordshire, and had both children during the Covid-19 pandemic. But they had always thought about travelling full-time, so they sold “pretty much everything” on Facebook Marketplace or via car boot sales and set off with a couple of suitcases of clothes and a few toys.

They currently have no plans to return full-time and want to continue world schooling – while spending around £2,000 a month, compared to £3,000 back in the UK.

Ruth said: “We had travelled before and for us it got to the stage where we were going to put the kids into nursery and it just didn’t feel like the right time. We wanted more time with them as we know those early years are precious, so we thought, why not just do it? So we did.

“We sold pretty much everything we owned, which was an exhilarating experience – we mainly sold it through Facebook Marketplace and car boot sales. So our car, our furniture, everything but a couple of memory boxes with some of the children’s things inside and a few clothes.

“We set off at the start with two big suitcases – a medium and a small one – and a stroller. And since then we’ve downsized to just two suitcases – it is really surprising how little you really need.

“Possessions don’t make you happy, life experiences do. We bought a one-way ticket to Sri Lanka not knowing if or when we were coming back and we haven’t stopped since.

“We’ve been travelling full-time ever since, slow-exploring the world as a family, while my husband runs his coaching business remotely and we embrace world schooling on the road. It’s been beautiful, chaotic, challenging and incredibly freeing.”

Children educated along the way

The couple say their children are now educated through “life experiences” – whether that be picking up Spanish in Latin America or learning about volcanoes while hiking in Peru. They say giving the kids no screen time whatsoever on their travels has helped them to become more patient and creative.

Ruth added: “They are also learning counting through things like paying a tuk-tuk driver in different currencies and the first time Aurora ever wrote her name was in sand on a beach with a stick. We give them no screen time at all, which I think has taught them patience on their travels and to be more creative when they are bored sitting on a bus.

“They thought the TV back home was a radio, as we’d only use it for Spotify, and we think that’s allowed their imagination to flourish. I have just seen their confidence grow so much and of course there’s no way of really telling how they would have been at home, but they are just so open and talk to anyone – young and old.

“I will sit down and teach them some reading and phonics and writing, but we’re not rigid with it and it’s still very much about learning through playing. It wasn’t a case of we hated the UK – we just love the world. But I was never a fan of the cold and rain, so that is something I don’t miss. The only thing I miss is friends and family and also British chocolate.”

How they support themselves on travels

The couple also support themselves financially via Steven’s online coaching business, which he can still run wherever they are in the world.

Steven said: “These positive environments have brought such positive developments so far in our children. Atlas was swimming independently at two.

“This way, they get one-to-one without being part of the larger school system, which we have no issue with, we just see the benefits from doing it this way. We make sure the children are at the centre of what we do, we always research kids’ clubs and activities wherever we stay.

“They are loving learning about all the wildlife too – we had iguanas and sloths outside our doors in Costa Rica. Aurora had surf lessons in Bali and will be sandboarding in the Peruvian desert, it’s magical for them. We use Airbnbs mainly, but I’ve been working out of little cupboards in some places – it has been challenging at times, but we’re in a fortunate position.”

The countries they have visited so far

Sri Lanka

Indonesia

Thailand

Malaysia

Cyprus

USA

Guatemala

Costa Rica

Colombia

Ecuador

Peru

Bolivia

Brazil

India

Nepal

Portugal

Morocco

Follow their travels via Instagram.

Travel experts have shared their top holiday packing tips, all agreeing on the one packing mistake you should avoid on your next getaway and why you shouldn’t bother packing it

Everyone adores jetting off on holiday, but cramming a fortnight’s worth of belongings into a Ryanair or easyJet underseat bag is nobody’s idea of fun. That’s precisely why knowing what to take and what to ditch is absolutely vital.

I consulted more than a dozen travel gurus for their essential picks and items to skip when heading abroad. The must-have list featured an array of items, from a sarong to a fully charged battery pack, cereal bars and even ‘your favourite comb’.

However, there was considerably more agreement on what holidaymakers should steer clear of packing.

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The travel gurus reckon you should steer clear of overpacking clothes.

“Many travellers say they regret taking too many ‘just in case’ outfits which take up valuable space in your luggage. Before packing anything, ask yourself whether you’ll genuinely wear it and whether it works with at least two other items in your suitcase. If the answer is no, it probably doesn’t need to come with you. Pack versatile pieces that can be mixed and matched, with a simple colour palette so everything works together,” Natasha Inglis, client experience director at Good Business Travel, said. Joe Cronin, president of International Citizens Insurance, shared this view.

He explained: “What I leave at home is the ‘just in case’ wardrobe. After years of living out of a suitcase in places as different as Tokyo and Buenos Aires, I have learned that you never wear the extra pair of shoes and the extra jacket. Laundry is easy to find nearly everywhere, and anything I truly forget I can buy on arrival, often for less than the cost of checking a heavier bag.”

Jim Webber, a retired teacher who now runs the travel blog Travelwidstom, commented: “I leave as many clothes at home as possible when I travel. So, my strategy focuses on packing light and doing laundry on extended trips. For example, my wife and I travelled for 17 days out west. We each had a carry-on and a personal item backpack. We were able to wash our clothes a few times on the trip at the hotels we stayed at.”

Aman Thakran, founder of BharatFare, argued that the ‘just in case’ items were for occasions “that never happen”. “I travel with clothes that all go together, so everything mixes and matches and nothing extra comes along. It saves weight, and often means you can skip the checked bag altogether,” Aman noted.

Vummy Kihaule, founder of Tanzania Safaris, highlighted that excessive clothing is especially unnecessary when embarking on safari. “Most hotels and lodges wash your clothes every day and return them to you the same evening. So three shirts will last you 10 days. Ask your hotel if they do washes every day and you’ll be able to cut half of your clothes from your bag. Weight is also a huge issue with small aircraft on regional routes, and most have a 15kg maximum weight including your hand luggage,” Vummy explained.