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Is there anything better than finding a super cheap flight? With budget carriers, it’s never been easier or more affordable to become a globetrotter. However, sometimes that is only in theory as low cost airlines are notorious for having exorbitant prices if you accidentally pack too many pairs of socks or slip up on the spelling of your name during the booking process. Because the last thing we want during our trips is to start them off or end them with anything but smooth sailing. We’ve broken down all you need to know about low cost Ryanair flights. 

Ryanair airplane

Important Note: All prices displayed below are per one way flight.

1. Ryanair’s Booking Process

Buying Ryanair Flight tickets

Depending on what type of debit/credit card you use when booking Ryanair flights, there is an administration fee applied to your total charge. If you pay with a credit card there is a fee of 2% of the total transaction value.

Travelling VIP on Ryanair Flights

If you would like to board first or reserve a seat ahead of time, there are two options available:

  • Priority Boarding: starting at 2€/£2 per passenger if booked in advance and starting at 4€/£4 at the airport.
  • Reserved/Allocated Seating: Regular seat starting at 5€/£5 per passenger booked in advance and 7.50€/£7.50 at the airport. Regular seat with priority boarding included is 7€/£7 per passenger booked in advance. Premium seat with priority boarding included is 10€/£10 per passenger booked in advance or 15€/£15 at the airport.

Ryanair Special Passenger Rules

If you are pregnant or are planning to buy a ticket for a passenger under the age of 16 it is important to know the following information:

  • Pregnant Women: Once an uncomplicated pregnancy enters its 28th week, expectant mothers are required to carry a ‘fit to fly’ letter completed by their doctor. This letter should be dated within 2 weeks of your booked flight and presented at either the bag drop desk or the boarding gate.
  • Children Under 16: Unaccompanied minors under 16 years of age cannot fly with Ryanair. Children under the age of 16 must always be accompanied by a passenger over 16 years. Escort and special facilities are not provided.

Travelling with an Infant on Ryanair

infant baggage allowance ryanair

  • Infant Fee: 30€/£30 per infant, per one-way flight.

Please note: The infant must be under 2 years for both legs of the flight (inbound/outbound).

  • Infant Equipment: 1 push-chair per child is free, 10€/£10 per additional item (booster, travel cot) per one-way flight with a maximum weight of 20kg each item.

Ryanair Baggage and Equipment

ryanair luggage policy dimensions

Ryanair changed their baggage policy on November 2018 and has the following rules:

Hand luggage:

– Passengers with priority boarding can carry for free one small bag (40cm x 20cm x 25cm) plus another cabin bag (55cm x 40cm x 20cm) with a maximum weight of 10kg.

– The non-priority passengers are only able to take one small bag (40cm x 20cm x 25cm) which should fit into the sizer. A big bag of 10 kg can be purchased online for a lower cost or at the airport for a higher cost.

– In case you’re travelling with an infant (up to 23 months old), you can carry a baby bag up to 5 kg for free.

Checked luggage:

– Each passenger travelling on Ryanair flights can carry up to 3 checked bags of 20 kg that can be purchased online for 25€/£25, via the call centre or at the airport for 40€/£40.

Sports Equipment and Musical Instruments:

– Passengers can carry sports equipment and musical instruments as hold luggage as long as it doesn’t exceed 20 kg (or 30 kg for bicycles). The fees for this equipment vary from £35 – £60 per item (one way) when booked online or £40 – £75 when booked at the airport.

2. Personalise your Ryanair Booking

Making Changes to the Reservation in Ryanair

  • Ryanair Flight Change Fees: 30€/£30 low season, 40€/£40 high season (during the booking process) or 45€/£45 low season, 60€/£60 high season (at the airport).
  • Ryanair Name Change Fee: 110€/£110 (during the booking process) or 160€/£160 (at the airport).

3. Ryanair Check-in

All passengers must check-in online from 15 days up to the deadline of 4 hours before the scheduled flight departure time.

To check-in online: Go to the Manage my Booking section on ryanair.com and print out boarding passes. If you do not have baggage to check, you can go straight to the security checkpoint with your boarding pass.

4. At the Airport

Passengers flying with Ryanair are required to print boarding passes during the online check-in deadline. Otherwise, passengers failing to do so will be charged a re-issue fee:

  • Boarding Pass Reissue Fee: 15€/£15 for passengers who have completed online check-in or 70€/£70 for passengers who have not checked-in online at least 4 hours before scheduled flight departure.

Baggage passing the defined weight limits is subject to fees per extra kilogram:

  • Ryanair Excess Baggage Fee: 10€/£10 per kg.

Hand luggage that does not fit in the bag gauge at the boarding gate will need to be checked:

  • Checking Luggage at Departure Gate: 50€/£50

All Ryanair flights require passengers to travel with valid documentation.

  • Accepted Documents: A valid passport, a valid UN Refugee Convention Travel Document, or a valid Collective Passport issued by an EU/EEA country.

5. On the Plane

  • Beverages and snacks aren’t complimentary on Ryanair flights but are available for purchase. Drinks run around 3€/£3 and snacks such as crisps start at 2€/£2.
  • The Ryanair Magazine is complimentary and free to take with you on all flights.

Ryanair new coronavirus safety measures

Like most airlines, Ryanair has implemented extra precautions for flying amid the coronavirus pandemic. These precautions include: 

  • Social distancing rules will apply at the airport and when boarding the plane.
  • A face covering must be worn at all times, including inside the airport and for the duration of the flight.
  • You may be asked to board the plane row by row, depending on your seat number.
  • Limited inflight service consisting of wrapped snacks and drinks
  • cashless payments to avoid physical contact
  • All of Ryanair’s aircraft are fitted with state of the art filtration systems, the same as those used in hospitals.
  • Aircraft are professionally cleaned and disinfected on a daily basis.

Ready to go? 

✈ Find your next Ryanair flight!

 

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86 responses to “Flying with Ryanair: Check-in and Baggage Allowance Tips”

  1. I also visit recently
    luton airport UK     .I find everything Great especially their car parking is awesome and i use meet and greet service . Really i enjoying this and advice you to use this also if you visit UK .
    Thanks

  4. Hi- are school backpacks acceptable as a personal item in addition to a cabin bag to carry on? the backpack i’m looking to bring fits under the seat of all major airlines I’ve flown with. please advise.

  5. Terrible! We purchased Ryan Air tickets for this leg of our flight because they had the best price. We bought the tickets several months in advance. Forty-eight hours before the flight I got an email saying that we had to pre-check-in to avoid a 50 Euro additional charge. I used my cell phone to go online and do this, but when I got to the website I went as far as I could with the pre-check-in and thought it was done. I clicked on every button that seemed to advance me to the next part and then came to the end. When we got in line to check in we were told to go to another line where we learned that the pre-check-in never went through, so we had to pay an additional 50 Euros for each ticket. There were also others in the same line who had the same experience. When we finished the trip I wrote to Ryan Air about it and got back a curt letter saying there was nothing wrong with their website, and that they would not reimburse us. I think this is just a super-sneaky way of getting more money out of some customers. So beware!

  6. Kind of maddening to read all the questions here. First, READ not only Chelsea´s article but other´s criticizing Ryan Air the thing that people complained about has happened to others, and some of these questions ARE answered if not in her article but the others, but things change so go to R/A website and check or call them (if that is allowed.) Chelsea is not going to be monitoring an article she wrote four years ago to answer you questions and others may give wrong answers.

  7. One of my luggage is 14″ x 9″ x 21″ (inches), will i have any issues?

  8. Is 55x36x24 or 55x45x21@10kg acceptable as cabin baggage in place of 55x40x20? Two pax travelling with American Tourister bags with these dimensions

  9. hi i am travelling to Barcelona with Ryanaire 6 days from today. do i need to print my boarding pass and yes so when can i print it?

  11. I have a child of 4years old with special needs, will I be charged for his push chair on ryanair?

  12. Hello Everybody,

    Of course for 5 or 10 EUR it is impossible to buy an air ticket. You can’t even
    buy a bus or train ticket with these fees. So what?

    Your haven’t checked in online so pay 45 EUR.

    Your hand luggage is 2 centimeters longer than specified so must pay 50 EUR.

    When you are booking your name is written as “Dinitri” but ol the
    passport it is “Dimitri” so ticket name change is 150 EUR, pay it!

    They will almost tell this;

    A normal person is specified as 70 Kgs. You are a little bit fat and 75 Kgs. so
    you must 100 EUR.

    ALL THESE ARE TRICKS! THIS IS UNFAIR AND NOTORIOUS

    IF YOU ARE NOT EXPERIENCED ABOUT RYANAIR, NEVER FLY WITH IT!!!

    BUT ONCE YOU ARE EXPERIENCED IF IS A CHEAP AIRLINE.

    NO PROBLEM YOU GET A TICKET FOR 5 EUR AND NEWBEES PAY THE REST OF YOUR TICKET.
    :)))

  13. Interesting suggestions ! Apropos , people are interested in a Single Parent Travel Instructions Parental/Guardian Approval , my company edited a blank document here https://goo.gl/yvnU0d

  14. Absolutely DO NOT fly with this airline. For the sake of standing up against dishonest businesses, boycott such airlines. Google flights will help you find affordable prices with other reputable airlines through the year.

    I am an avid traveler and have been traveling around the world since I was born, pretty much. I’ve grown accustomed to what to expect from good and bad airlines. When I traveled around Europe this time I did not know the notorious reputation that Ryanair had for ripping its customers off. Remember that discounted airline companies like this will try to make money using other methods to make up for what they’re not charging you.

    I booked my flight from Rome to Barcelona and did not receive a confirmation email or reminder to check in. So far, none of the airline companies I had flown with had let me check in online so I decided to arrive early at the airport and check in then just to be sure. The day before my flight, I received a text in Spanish and no email whatsoever. I thought the text was spam because I don’t read or understand Spanish. When I showed up at the airport early to check in, the lady at the check-in counter (also know that Ryanair is known for its terrible staff and horrendous service, but I was a student backpacking on a budget) was extremely rude and literally said that she would be happy to let me miss my flight that morning unless I pay an extra 50 euros as a penalty for not checking in online. Instead of paying a total of 149 euros to fly from Rome to Barca, they made me pay a total of an extra 100 euros for in-airport check-in and baggage check-in (oversized baggage check-in is allowed so you don’t have to pay an extra 50 euros for checking in your one carry-on item by the way). Many many airlines, specifically in European countries, hide this and lie to you to make you pay the extra 30-50 euros so keep that in mind. I have been emailing Ryanair since August trying to explain to them while claiming the amount back but they are literally denying that an email was never sent and that I am entitled to this amount.

    All in all, I could have flown with a more prestigious airline and paid the extra 100 euros for good service versus the distress Ryanair cost me. Always remember that airlines like this never run on honest business. That’s a huge lesson I learned while backpacking this time. After this scarring experience, I’ve chosen to boycott Ryanair with a passion. If you want to have an affordable but comfortable experience, I really recommend you avoid this airline. It really isn’t worth it. I can officially say I would’ve had a more pleasant memory of my overall experience if this hadn’t happened.

  16. Hi can i carry sealed dried food eg. Sausages, bread in my hand luggage on a European flight?

  18. I booked a 15kg bag. Can I change to a 20kg? Online its only allows mw to add an extra 20kg bag.

  19. There’s no specific weight limit on the smaller 35x20x20 bag; the 10Kg limit only applies to the 55x40x20 bag.

  20. I am flying to Malta with Ryan Air. I have already paid for checked in 15. Kg Bag. Now I am confused. With 10kg bag of 55X40X20 will go free and another bag with hand luggage 35x20x20 should contain how much weight? Or all together both should contain 10 kg? Please, guide

  21. Hi im travelling with hand luggage only on ryan air(first time), Can i put hair straightners in my hand luggage pleases,Does any one know?

  22. yes there is a new way to rob people especially who are flying through ryan air for the first time I forgot to do online check in and they charged me 140 euros for family of 3 for not checking online. they did not send me email for not checking online the penalty I have to pay how does authorities allow such airlines to rob people they are the thugs and goons who are allowed to operate by European Union authorities. will give 100 euros more but will never travel through this airline

  23. I would NEVER USE RYANAIR AGAIN. I booked flight online and I was not able to login online to check in on my phone or at the Santorini airport. That small airport had self check in stations and I assumed that the bigger airport in Greece would also have them. Since I was not able to check in online in Santorini, I decided to check in at the Greek Airport. To my surprise the Greece airport did not have any self check in stations and Ryanair charged me $45 euros to print my boarding pass. For some unknown reason they had removed self check in stations in the airport so I had no choice but to pay. I would never use Ryaniar again and I have also advised friends and family not to use Ryanair as well

  25. I’m desperate for am answer to this question, is there a size limit on checked baggage? I see the size for carry on bags and I know there is a weight restriction. I purchased the 20kg checked bag option but I have a very large suitcase and I want to be sure it won’t be a problem to check. Thanks!

  26. Hello, is it possible to purchase check in baggage on the way back to uk? (Uk – Germany) I’m afraid that my baggage will be heavier as after shopping…
    Also no liquid can bring back from Germany, if I do not purchase check-in baggage, no?

  27. Hello, I’ve paid for a 15kg check-in baggage on a flight with Ryanair within a reservation for me and my wife. We were supposed to travel together but i’m no longer traveling on that flight but my wife is. Would it be a problem to check-in the baggage with her name instead of mine? Thanks!

  28. I am flying with Ryanair with my 2 years old daughter and have two baggage bag. One for cabin baggage second for check in. I bought two full price ticket and when I add a baggage I press 50% discount on child ticket. Is it valid or I should pay full price. Thank you very much for your help

  29. Can I book without paying flight ticket. After getting visa, I ll continue to book and pay.

  30. Hi – pls clarify – can you carry up 10kg in the smaller 2nd hand baggage aswell or a combined weight of 10kg

  31. Hello!
    I will be travelling on ryanair, and I will take a cabin baggage under the measurement requirements, but I would like to take my Laptop as hand luggage. However it is bigger than the measurements. Will ryanair charge me for this?
    Thank you,

    Nadja

  32. Rucksack clothes + ( soap + shampoo deodorant )
    + DSLR
    + laptop with lens in other bag
    is acceptable or I should pay for the …

  33. eDreamsHave you sorted your baggage problem re-Ryanair customers, reading many complaints

  34. So. Ryanair. Good morning BTW. Where in the world (Not literally) does one purchase the elusive second bag with dimensions 35x20x20 that Ryanair demand. Even Samsonite/Antler stores do not seem to sell these. I am loathe to buy ‘Online’ as delivery can be erratic. I am in England (North West) and am honestly pulling my few remaining hairs out

  35. Hi, I am a father with 8 months old babie twins. Before I travelled with my partner, but recently due to a break up I would like to know if it is possible for just myself to travel with both babies? Thanks in advance
    Ally

  36. I am having the same problem myself. At the check-in they told me my luggage was not included but I had proof that I paid for it. Anyway, I ended up paying 75 euros at the Ryanair desk and they advised I should take this with edreams as they did not pay Ryanair for the return luggage. I’m so disappointed. Also, at the Ryanair desk there was a family in front of me experiencing exactly the same problem and I wonder how difficult it must have been for them to pay for all their luggage.

  37. Have just returned from Gran Canaria having booked my flight with RyanAir I paid for one item of baggage upto 20kg going and return. Only to be told on the reurn trip that RyanAir have no recored of payment for the return trip, even though i had a proof that i had paid. They would not accept this and said that they are having lots of problems with eDreams and that i would have to pay 75 euros if i wanted to check my case in, not a lot i could do as the case was too big.

    Not sure how i am going to get my 75euros back, as you have to phone eDreams which costs so much. Looks like I’m going to be out of pocket, Will not use eDreams or RyanAir again

  38. If I have a return flight with no checked in luggage (just hand luggage) can I bring a 20kg bag back and how much would it cost and would I have to pay for that bag on both directions if I’m only returning with it?

  39. Hope you feel happier now you’ve unloaded this, however this thread is about RyanAir, or hadn’t you noticed?

  41. Hi, would it be cheaper for me, if i check the baggage in, instead of being caught with the wrong size as its under 10kg & instead of 50x40x20 it’s 30x57x30, i used the same bag before, but my brother booked the tickets a long while ago & pretty sure i used it as hand luggage, as its a flimsy sports bag or buy the hand luggage in Aldi afaik it’s cheaper against the cost of one way @€30 at moment!!!

  42. hi
    if my cabin is about 5cm longer and wider ,do i have to pay exral for it

  47. Why is luggage charged at £1 = 1 euro when the exchange rate at present is 1.4 euro = £. Best to book separately each way as your return luggage can be paid for in euro’s as they then convert it at 1.3 euro = £.

  48. Hi, Janice. Thanks for reaching out. Firstly, with the exception of Business Plus fares, all passengers travelling with Ryanair are required to check in online first. Boarding passes may either be printed or presented through your mobile phone. As for your checked baggage, please note that any applicable checked baggage fees and/or excess baggage charges must be paid. Your checked baggage may then be deposited at a Bag-Drop desk up to two hours, but no later than forty (40) minutes prior to your scheduled departure. Please let us know if you need anything else. Wishing you a great journey!

  49. Hi Tiago. Thanks for your message. Ryanair allows two carry on bags. One that is a maximum of 35 x 20 x 20 cms and another that is a maximum of 55cm x 40cm x 20cm. Should you have any problems, since your carry on bag is slightly larger, you may be required to check in your bag. In that case, the fee is £50. If you are uncertain whether or not you will have to check in your bag, we recommend checking at the Bag Drop desk before going through security. Thanks!

  50. I am travelling in a few weeks to London Stansted and I bought a hand luggage with one or 2 centimeters in one side and 1 centimeters in another.
    Like 36x22x56 cm.
    I want to know if its gonna be a problem.
    Sorry for my bad english.

    I hope you can help me.

  51. This is now out of date. Ryanair allow 2 infant items free of charge and additional infant items at €10 each per flight. Also parent can have a baby bag not > 5kgs in addition to their own travel allowance.

  52. Hi, Huliana! All passengers with a purchased seat for travel are allowed the 10kg bag allowance. The only exception are infants up to 23 months sharing a seat with the adult. In this case, adults are allowed a baby bag of up to 5kg in addition to 10kg bag allowance. Thanks!

  53. I am flying with a 3 year old, is she entiteled to 10kg hand luggage or is just for myself?

  54. Hi, Stan. Thank you for sharing your situation. We are sorry to hear you had complications with your flight on Ryanair. We understand how frustrating that must be. Their online policy seems to indicate restrictions on Schengen flights, but indeed, the information is not clearly identified. We hope you have reached out to Ryanair and your circumstance has been rectified. We wish you the best.

  55. Hi, Stan. Thank you for sharing your situation. We are sorry to hear you had complications with your flight on Ryanair. We understand how frustrating that must be. Their online policy seems to indicate restrictions on Schengen flights, but indeed, the information is not clearly identified. We hope you have reached out to Ryanair and your circumstance has been rectified. We wish you the best.

  56. I booked for myself and wife and two 8 month old twin girls to fly Dublin to Stansted with Ryanair. I couldn’t find any information on the Ryanair website but assumed the infants could travel with Birth Cert’s as ID – same as Aer Lingus and most normal Airlines. Tried to check in on the Ryanair website the night before the flight and it wouldn’t let me without passport numbers for the two Babies. I assumed this might be a ploy for Ryanair to get more money from me as they do. Went to Dublin Airport and was told we needed Passports for the Babies. My problem is that it’s not mentioned anywhere on their website. Why on earth do Babies under 2 need a passport to travel?. The “helpful” (stoney faced) lady at “Ryanair Customer Service desk” (oxymoron) told me that myself and my wife could travel but our two little ones couldn’t!! Considered giving her a brief run down on their feeding habits and handing her their changing bag and heading off but the wife wasn’t on for it. It’s daft and I think it’s a ploy to stop parents travelling ontheir flights with young children. I WILL NEVER FLY RYANAIR AGAIN. They are NOT LOW COST – you always end up paying even more and arriving at an airport that is miles from anywhere.

  58. If a minor is travelling with an adult on a different booking what proof do they need to show that they are travelling together?

  59. Hi Ann Mcdermott, the Ryanair hand luggage allowance is:

    One cabin bag weighing up to 10 kg with maximum dimensions of 55cm x 40cm x 20cm, plus 1 small bag up to 35 x 20 x 20 cms per passenger.

    Hopefully that clarifies it 🙂

  60. Hi, First time flying with Ryanair; I’m totally confused with the hand luggage allowance i.e.The hand bagage dimensions being 35x20x20cms is smaller than an A4 envelope but I can also take a hand bag in addition with no dimensions, help! Ann

  64. Hi! Ryanair has family fare where a child can get 50% discount trvelling with parents, but I couldn’t find this offer on Edreams site, correct?

  65. It is the first time I have ever used ryanair & nervous about baggage allowance. I have paid for hold baggage (15kg) am I allowed hand (cabin) luggage too (10kg). I don’t want to face any charges when I get to the airport.

  67. what weight is the carry on baggage for ryanair i am so scared it will be OVERWEIGHT

  68. Hi Pelagie Fragioudaki

    This is directly from Ryanair

    “Q: Can checked baggage allowances be pooled?

    A: Customers included in the same flight reservation can pool or share their purchased baggage allowances when checking in together.

    For example: 2 friends travelling on the same booking have purchased
    two 15kg checked bags, one customer can check in a bag weighing 17kg and
    the other 13kg as long as the total paid checked baggage allowance is
    not exceeded.

    For health and safety reasons Ryanair does not accept for carriage
    any individual item exceeding 32 kilos or with combined dimensions of
    more than 81cms (height), 119cms (width) and 119cms (depth).”

  69. hey I bought a two luggage 15 and 20 kilos….total 35 , can I have 12 at one bag the 23 at the other ???

  74. Hand Luggage: Restricted to one item of cabin baggage per passenger and as of December 2013, passengers may also bring on-board one additional personal item (handbag, briefcase, laptop, shop purchases, camera, etc.).
    Max weight – 10kg
    Dimensions main piece of cabin baggage – 55cm x 40cm x 20cm
    Dimensions additional personal item – 35cm x 20cm x 20cm

    Hi, regarding the post above about RyanAir, it means that the main piece of cabin baggage and additional personal item cannot exceed 10kg or each of the baggage may put things inside as long as it is not exceed 10kg?

  75. can I take a laptop with no other hand luggage without being charged. Laptop is below hand luggage dimensions but above second piece of hand luggage dimensions.

  76. Can anyone figure out what the baggage fees would be on RyanAir for two checked bags (one 30 lbs and one 50 lbs)?

  80. Children Under 16: Ryanair does not carry unaccompanied minors under 16
    years of age. Children under the age of 16 must always be accompanied by
    a passenger over 16 years. Escort and special facilities are not
    available.

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