Ryanair has confirmed that it is making a noteworthy change to its current luggage rules. The budget airline is set to change its airport check-in and bag drop rules across its airport bases. The change will come into effect on Nov. 10 and has been designed to give passengers more time to get through security queues in airports. This rule change follows long wait times over the summer due to the EU’s implementation of EES, a border security system.
Ryanair’s New Bag Drop Rule
From Nov. 10, Ryanair customers will face a new rule about checking in bags with the airline. Ryanair will close its airport bag drop services strictly 60 minutes before the scheduled departure of a flight, upping the time limit from the current 40 minutes.
The rule change was announced in April and was explained as a way to make sure that the estimated 20% of Ryanair passengers who pay for a 10kg or 20kg checked bag have enough time to make their way through airport security and passport control queues prior to boarding.
Those without checked-in luggage, the majority of Ryanair passengers, will be unaffected by this change.
Ryanair Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Dara Brady explained the change:
“From Tuesday, 10 November, bag drop services at all Ryanair airports will close 60 minutes before scheduled departure, instead of the current 40 minutes. 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 has been known to strictly enforce cut-off times. Missing the check-in window for luggage will likely mean passengers will be denied boarding or be required to travel without their baggage. The airline does not offer refunds for missed flights.
Ryanair’s standard online check-in windows will be unaffected by this change in policy. Passengers will still be able to check in online up to two hours before their scheduled departure time.
Longer Queues Across European Airports All Summer
Ryanair’s change in bag drop rules has followed a summer of complaints from airport staff and customers alike regarding the lengthy wait times and queues in airports across Europe.
This was largely the result of the EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES) that required biometric registration of fingerprints, passport data, and a facial image on the first entry of non-EU nationals to EU countries.
The system caused chaos over the summer as masses of passengers missed their flights waiting in queues to get through security and passport control. An emergency mechanism was introduced by the European Union to help alleviate the stress put on airports by allowing EES to be temporarily suspended if queues became unmanageable.
Though initially meant to expire on Sept. 6, at least nine countries managed to secure permission to delay implementing the system in full in order to maintain border fluidity following the plethora of issues that occurred during the summer.
Ryanair was one of several airlines to voice its concern about the system and the unmanageable queues it created. Chief Operating Officer of Ryanair, Neal McMahon, vocally criticised the EU’s handling of EES and said passengers should not have to pay for its failures.
Ryanair’s implementation of a new time limit on when passengers can check in their luggage, allegedly to ensure passengers have enough time to get through security and passport control, has the potential to aid Ryanair passengers with checked-in luggage in ensuring they make it onto their flights.
By ensuring passengers have fully checked in any luggage at least an hour prior to departure, passengers will hopefully face fewer issues getting through security checks, with enough time to board their flights.
What do you think of this new rule? Will it help passengers have enough time to get through security queues and passport control? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
