Ryanair has announced a significant change to its check-in and bag drop procedures, effective from November 10. The low-cost carrier will close these services 60 minutes prior to scheduled departure, an increase from the current 40 minutes. The move, confirmed on Wednesday, April 22, aims to provide passengers with more time to navigate airport security and passport control queues, thereby reducing the number of travelers who miss their flights due to delays at these bottlenecks.
New Check-In Rule Details
The updated policy applies to all Ryanair flights across its network, including those from Birmingham Airport (BHX). The airline, which competes with Jet2, Easyjet, TUI, and others, is also rolling out more self-service bag-drop kiosks at its airports. Over 90% of airports are expected to have these kiosks installed by October. These self-service units are fully integrated with the Ryanair app, allowing passengers to check in bags and print bag tags, which speeds up the bag-drop process and reduces waiting times.
Impact on Passengers
Ryanair's Chief Marketing Officer, Dara Brady, explained: “Ryanair customers will see airport check-in and bag drops close 60 minutes before scheduled departure, instead of today’s 40 minutes. This will allow customers more time to clear through airport security and passport queues, and get to their departure gate on-time, especially during busy travel periods when some of these airport queues can be longer.”
The airline notes that 80% of its customers do not check in a bag and will be unaffected by this change, as they continue to check in online and proceed directly to security. For the 20% who do check in a bag, the additional 20 minutes provides a buffer to handle longer queues. The self-service kiosks, which will be present at over 95% of Ryanair airports before October, aim to streamline the bag-drop experience further.
Broader Context
This announcement comes as Ryanair continues to invest in technology to improve operational efficiency. The new rule is designed to enhance punctuality and reduce the number of passengers who miss flights due to airport congestion. Travelers are advised to arrive at the airport earlier than usual to accommodate the extended check-in closure time.
