Three Ryanair changes every passenger needs to know in 2025 after shock U-turn

While is renowned for its cheap flights, the strict rules and added extras can quickly push up the price of a ticket. The budget airline recently announced a huge change to boarding passes that was meant to be introduced in May, but instead they made a huge U-turn and announced a delay to introducing the which is now set to come into play in November instead.

The change will be huge to all passengers and the new rule is now just one of many strict rules announced by the airline. From hand luggage restrictions to new boarding passes, any travellers breaking these rules may be charged additional fees at the airport. Here, we take a look at some of the newest rules set by Ryanair - and how to avoid hefty fines that will start your trip off on the wrong foot.

So before booking your next flight, here's what you need to know...

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Hand luggage

Even though the flight prices may be low, the cost of adding on bags is definitely not.

However, proactive passengers have found a way around paying more than they need to by sourcing space-saving bags online that fit the airline's small hand luggage requirements, while still fitting all of their belongings. Some of these are available for less than £20 too.

All Ryanair passenger fares include a small personal bag, measuring 40 x 20 x 25cm, which must fit under the seat in front of you. One popular choice that has gone viral online thanks to it's ability to curb Ryanair's excess luggage fees is the , available on Amazon. Though the bag usually retails for £15.99, at the time of writing, it's been slashed by 25% to just £11.99. Measuring 40 x 19 x 25cm, the bag fits Ryanair's small undersea cab bag requirements of 40 x 20 x 25cm.

Passengers who wish to take a second and larger sized bag have the option to purchase a Priority fare, which includes more luggage as well as some additional perks:

• Priority fares allow customers to take a small personal bag (40 x 20 x 25cm) and a cabin bag (55 x 40 x 20cm) weighing up to 10kg with them onboard
• Priority fare passengers also board the plane first via the Priority Queue

Priority plus two extra bags costs between £6 and £36 when done online, compared to at the check-in desk where it can cost anywhere from £20 to £38. But if priority is sold out or passengers wish to check their bag, they can purchase a 10kg check-in bag.

When purchased online, a 10kg checked bag can cost anywhere from £11.99 to £29.99. However, at the airport, passengers could end up forking out between £23.99 and £35.99.

But there's one major catch that all Ryanair passengers should be aware of. If you do show up at the boarding gate with a 10kg bag which has not been purchased in advance, you could end up being slapped with a last-minute check-in fee of £46.00 should it be rejected.

Digital boarding passes

Earlier this year, Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary announced that the airline will put an end to physical printed out boarding passes. Initially it was set for May 2025, but it has now been delayed to November 2025. The CEO stated that as many as 60% of travellers currently use mobile passes.

Currently, passengers are permitted to print out and show paper boarding passes or have the option of downloading a digital boarding pass using the Ryanair app on their mobile phones. They can also get a boarding pass at the airport with the airline. But passengers are charged £55 if they forget to check in and download their boarding passes before arriving at the airport terminal.

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From November, Ryanair passengers will no longer download and print physical paper boarding passes, but instead will use a digital boarding pass generated in the 'myRyanair' app during check-in. According to The Express, at present, there are almost 80 per cent of Ryanair’s 200 million passengers already using digital boarding passes.

As a result of this customer initiative, Ryanair expects to eliminate almost all airport check-in fees from November 2025, as all passengers will have checked-in online/in-app to generate their digital boarding pass.

However, from May 2025, there will be no option to check-in and print off boarding passes at the airport at all. "Our goal is to eliminate check-in desks at the airport, just like we’ve done with luggage counters", said Mr O’Leary. "Everything will be managed through the app, making the process fully digital and eliminating paper entirely."

He added: "It also means, once we get everybody onto the app, nobody will ever again pay for a boarding pass at an airport - the airport check-in fee will be gone. So, I think it will be a smoother, easier journey for everybody."

Don't be late

The airline advised that all passengers should arrive to the airport with lots of time to get through security and to their gate.

They suggested travellers should arrive no later than 40 minutes ahead of their flight - as they may be charged £100 for a missed departure fee.

The fee also applies to those who show up "up to one hour after flight departure time". Ryanair's website notes the fee is "also available to customers who arrive at the ticket desk up to an hour after their flight departure to move to the next available flight. The fee is charged per passenger per sector."

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