Ryanair changes bag drop deadline to 60 minutes before departure

Budget airline Ryanair has changed the rules for when passengers can check in their hold luggage at the airport. New rules take effect this week and apply across the company’s entire European network.

Changes to hold luggage drop-off times

Anyone travelling with Ryanair must now drop off their hold luggage at least 60 minutes before their scheduled departure time. The new rules came into effect on November 10. Previously, passengers could check in hold luggage as little as 40 minutes before scheduled departure.

For travellers in Switzerland, the tighter deadline applies to Ryanair flights departing from EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg, as well as from any airports over the border.

According to Ryanair, only 20 percent of its passengers check in hold luggage. Chief marketing officer Dara Brady said in a press release that the change would give passengers who do check in hold luggage “more time to clear airport security and passport control queues and get to their departure gate before boarding begins”. 

However, passengers also have to account for bag drop queues. During busy periods, passengers may have to join the bag drop queue well before the 60-minute deadline to make sure they reach the counter in time to check in their luggage.

EU luggage rules set to change in October 2027

While Ryanair’s changes will affect relatively few passengers, broader rules are also set to change. From October 23, 2027, airlines operating in the EU, as well as Switzerland, will have to comply with new requirements for checked and hand luggage under Regulation (EU) 2026/2202.

Airline passengers travelling in the EU will be guaranteed a free personal item. This means that standard fares will legally include one small under-seat bag, such as a handbag or backpack measuring up to 40x30x15 cm, at no extra charge.

Airlines and flight comparison search engines will also be obliged to display ticket prices that include hand luggage by default before the booking process starts. Finally, if an approved cabin bag must be placed into the cargo hold due to space constraints or an aircraft swap, airlines cannot charge an additional fee.

The regulation will also introduce stricter timelines for airlines to fulfil compensation claims for flight cancellation and disruption. According to a recent Air Advisor ranking, Ryanair has the third-worst track record among European airlines for successfully processing compensation claims. 

You can find out more about the EU flight rules changing in 2027 in our article, Major EU flight rules changing in 2027: From personal bags to faster refunds.

This article originally appeared on IamExpat Germany.