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Budget airline Ryanair has urged passengers not to forget a change affecting everyone flying with checked-in luggage.
The low-cost airline will close its airport bag drop services 60 minutes before scheduled departure, instead of the current 40-minute rule, starting on Tuesday 10 November.
Ryanair originally announced the shake-up in April to make sure the estimated 20 per cent of its passengers that check in a bag have “more time” to clear airport security and passport control queues before boarding begins.
Ryanair’s new 60-minute luggage rule
The no-frills airline, notorious for its strict luggage allowances, says the move will help reduce the “small number of passengers” who end up missing their flights due to delays at airport security or passport control.
The remaining 80 per cent of passengers who make the most of Ryanair’s cheap flights – and don’t want to spend money on checked-in luggage – will be unaffected by the 20-minute change.
These travellers will still have to check in online before travelling to the airport, where they can proceed directly through security to their departure gate.
“From Tuesday, 10 November, bag drop services at all Ryanair airports will close 60 minutes before scheduled departure, instead of the current 40 minutes,” said Ryanair CMA Dara Brady.
“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 tells Europe to brace for ‘biggest airfare increase’
Last month, Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary predicted that travellers across Europe will face the biggest increase in airfares “in history” in 2027.
O’Leary made the comments at a news conference in Brussels as airlines remain largely nudged against higher jet fuel costs.
The boss forecasted that there will be fewer seats available in a matter of months as a result of bankruptcies and takeovers among airlines, which, together with the unhedged positions, would result in fares increasing by as much as 20 per cent.
The Iran war has driven jet fuel prices sharply higher, mainly due to the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, squeezing margins for airlines that were unhedged.
