Ryanair bag drop closes 60 minutes before departure from 10 November

Bag drop deadline moves earlier

From 10 November 2026, Ryanair's bag drop desks at all airports it serves close 60 minutes before scheduled departure, instead of 40 minutes. The company says the change is meant to ease crowds at peak times, giving passengers time to clear security and passport control before boarding closes. Passengers who bought hold baggage must now hand their bags over at least an hour before take-off. Self-service bag drop terminals follow the same cutoff, so there is no exception for late arrivals. Passengers who miss the deadline can no longer check a bag and will have to leave it with someone who can collect it from the airport.

Before 10 November 202640

From 10 November 202660

Before 10 November 2026

40 minutes before departure

From 10 November 2026

60 minutes before departure

Data from the article text

Who is affected

Ryanair says about 80% of its passengers fly with cabin baggage only and check in online, so the change does not touch them. The roughly 20% who pay for hold luggage are the group that has to plan for the earlier cutoff. Dara Brady, the airline's chief marketing officer, said the measure responds mainly to crowding at busy international airports, where security and passport checks can take longer than usual. Ryanair is also rolling out self-service bag kiosks gradually, and passengers can print a bag tag through the Ryanair app and drop their case without queuing at a desk.

Online check-in window widened

Free online check-in for passengers with a randomly allocated seat now opens 72 hours before departure, instead of 24 hours. The window still closes two hours before take-off. Blick reports that the change has applied since 3 November 2026, while Rzeczpospolita found the widened window in the updated terms, article 6.2.3. Passengers who pay for a specific seat can check in up to 60 days before departure. Couples and friends travelling without paid seats have no guarantee of sitting together, Blick notes.

Previous window24

New window72

Previous window

24 hours before departure

New window

72 hours before departure

Data from the article text

Seat allocation and late fees

Ryanair has not said when a seat number will be fixed for passengers who check in early under the random allocation. Passengers who flew with the airline at the weekend reported that their assigned seat was revealed only three hours before departure, rather than at check-in, according to ProTV citing Express. Under the old system, passengers could check in as soon as the window opened, see their seat and pay to change it if they disliked it. Passengers who miss the online deadline face a fee of 55 pounds or 55 euros per person for airport check-in. Earlier seat-selection fees ran from 3 to 42.50 pounds, or 3.60 to 50.90 euros.

Fare outlook from the top

Michael O'Leary, the Ryanair chief, warned that airfares could rise significantly next year. Speaking at a press conference in Brussels, he put the expected increase in European fares at around 10%, 15% or possibly 20%. He linked the rise to fewer available seats after airline bankruptcies and takeovers, and said he expects the largest increase in air fares in Europe's history over the next 12 months. Ryanair is also weighing cost measures that include a wage freeze and fewer cabin crew on board, according to Adevarul.

What passengers should do

Passengers with hold bags should reach the airport at least an hour before departure, and the Fanpage guidance suggests arriving about two to two and a half hours early at busy times. Passengers who fly with cabin baggage only and check in online are not affected by the bag drop change, according to the company. For those who want to avoid the late-seat reveal, a paid seat remains the only way to know where they will sit before boarding.