Ryanair wants its passengers on board and in the air quickly, and apparently slow passengers are getting in the way—so the airline will soon close check-in and bag drop a full hour before take-off, 20 minutes earlier than now. The new rule takes place in November.
Time is important to Ryanair, Europe’s biggest airline and the world’s biggest budget airline, because it counts on fast turnarounds to keep its planes busy all day. The airline is pitching it as giving customers more time to get through security and to the gate, and says it will reduce the “very small number of passengers” who don’t make it.
The change actually applies mainly to the 20% of Ryanair customers who check bags; those who are carry-on only check in online and head straight to their gates. The airline is also installing more self-service bag drop kiosks where passengers can print their own tags; they are to be available in 95% of airports Ryanair serves by October.
