Ryanair’s airport check-in and bag drop services are set to close 60 minutes before scheduled departure – 20 minutes earlier than previously – from November.
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The move is so that passengers will have more time to pass through airport security and passport queues which could otherwise cause them to miss their flight.
The news comes as travellers face huge queues at airports following the roll-out of the EU’s new Entry/Exit System (EES).
Ryanair have said the change will come into effect from 10 November. It will not affect those travelling with just a carry on, as these customers can continue to check-in online before heading straight to their departure gate.
“This will allow these 20% of our customers (who check in a bag) 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,” Ryanair’s CMO Dara Brady, said.
The airline, which is Europe’s biggest, has also said that it will be installing additional self-service bag-drop kiosks at more than 95% of airports served by the carrier by October.
As these kiosks are integrated with the Ryanair app, passengers will be able to check their bags in and print bag tags without having to worry about waiting times.
A no-frills airline, standard fares on a Ryanair flight only include a small personal bag, sized at 40 x 30 x 20 cm, that must fit under the seat in front of you.
You can add on a 10kg cabin bag, sized at 55 x 40 x 20cm, for between €6 and €36, depending on the route and travel dates.
Those who need a checked bag can choose between the 10kg, 20kg and 23kg options, which start from €9.49, €18.99 and €29.99 respectively.