Ryanair is the world’s largest airline in terms of passenger numbers. It services 185 destinations using a low-cost business model that, since its founding in 1985, now sees over 100 million customers flying with the airline on a yearly basis. It was established by the Ryan family and currently employs close to 10,000 aviation professionals. It operates out of Dublin and London, with a route network that reaches 31 countries in Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

Top Ryanair routes

What are my Ryanair check in options?

Mobile boarding passes & priority booking
Priority boarding
Flying with children
Seating for babies and children
Unaccompanied children
Flying while pregnant
Senior fares
Group Bookings
Disabled Access
Pets

Mobile boarding passes & priority booking

You can check in online using this portal by entering your booking details ahead of your flight. You can choose to receive your boarding pass via SMS, Email, Passbook (where applicable), or print it ready to hand in at the check-in kiosk. Ensure you check in at least 120 minutes prior to your scheduled departure time. Business customers can check in at the airport free of charge.

Priority boarding

Customers can select and buy their preferred seat online from the time of booking up to 2 hours before each booked flight. There are 3 types of allocated seat available for purchase:

Front Row Seat from €15 – Rows 1 A,B,C and 2 D,E,F. Rapid exit seats include priority boarding.
Premium Seats from €10.99 – Rows 2-7 and rows 16 & 17 (extra leg room). Premium seats include priority boarding. Passengers who have purchased Priority Boarding will not be asked to place their cabin bag in the aircraft hold, unless necessary due to operational reasons.
Regular Seats from €5.99 – All other seats (rows 8-15 and rows 18-33). Regular Seats may be upgraded to include Priority Boarding from €2.99 per person/per flight.

Flying with children

Newborns aged 7 days and under cannot be accepted for travel on Ryanair flights, while infants aged 8 days to 23 months inclusive must be accompanied by an adult aged 16 or over (one infant per adult). An infant can sit on an adult’s lap, and an infant seat belt is provided by the cabin crew. A €20 ‘infant fee’ is applied in this case. Note that if an infant reaches the age of 2 years prior to their return journey, they must pay the applicable adult fare, taxes, fees and charges for that flight.

A baby bag up to 5kg can be also carried by the accompanying adult in addition to their own cabin bag allowance. However, there is no checked baggage allowance for infants seated on an adult’s lap. You can carry 2 items of baby equipment free of charge per child -1 x pushchair plus one of the following items: car seat or booster seat or travelcot. On arrival at the airport, the 2 x free items of baby equipment can be tagged for travel at a Bag Drop Desk, which closes 40 minutes before the scheduled flight departure time.

There are baby changing facilities on board located at the rear of the aircraft. Cabin crew can warm baby bottles if required. Other items of baby equipment in addition to the 2 x free items can be checked-in upon payment of an Infant/child equipment fee (€10 online or €20 at airport).

Seating for babies and children

You can book a separate seat for your child if it is aged under 2 years if you are using an Amsafe CARES child restraint or a car seat which is approved for use on an aircraft with a 5 point harness. This restraint is designed specifically for airline use for children age 1 year and older who weigh between 10-20kg.

Unaccompanied children

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

Flying while pregnant

Ryanair has a policy specifying the latest stage that pregnant woman can take flights:

No later than the end of week 36 if pregnant with one baby; or
No later than the end of week 32 if pregnant with more than one child
Within 48 hours of delivery Normal Vaginal Delivery (NVD)

A medical certificate is required for any pregnancy with expected complications. Clearance is also required where the (NVD) pregnancy is expected within 5 days.

Senior fares

Ryanair, being a discount airline, does not offer any special fares specifically for seniors.

Group bookings

If you are planning to fly with a group and wish to be seated together, you can arrange bookings for 10 or more people by requesting a quote through Ryanair’s group booking form. In your request, you will need to give the following information:

Name of the person to be contacted
A daytime telephone number
Number of passengers (including children)
Flight dates
Destination

An offer will then be sent for acceptance, upon which Ryanair will call you to finalise your details and organise your group’s flight.

Disabled access

You are required to give at least 48 hours in advance of your flight regarding the make, model, weight and lowest collapsed height of your wheelchair if you plan to take it on your journey. Passengers are also asked to bring the operating instructions to the airport.

In order to be accepted onto the flight, electric wheelchairs and mobility scooters must comply with the following:

The dimensions of the wheelchair when collapsed must not exceed 81cms (height), 119cms (width) and 119cms (depth).
The battery power must be isolated and exposed terminals protected from short circuiting.
The key removed or the device deactivate using the joystick or deactivate using an isolation switch or buttons, or other isolation mechanism (such as Anderson Connector or Airsafe plug).
The wheelchair battery must be dry/gel cell ONLY.

Some other points to note:

The 32kg single item weight limit does not apply to mobility equipment.
No wheelchairs are permitted in the aircraft cabin.

There is also an onboard aisle wheelchair on each Ryanair aircraft that crew use to assist reduced mobility passengers getting to and from the aircraft toilet door.

Pets

Ryanair does not currently accept pets in the hold or cabin, but is presently considering the idea for a 2016 implementation.

Certified and Registered Guide / Hearing Dogs can be taken on board certain Ryanair flights when accompanying a guest who has a vision or hearing impairment, provided that the dog is wearing their coat, and/or have their ID medallion on their collar, and the handler has their Handler ID.

Assistance dogs are permitted on flights between the UK and Ireland, but not on flights from Irish airports (except Dublin with advance approval) to continental Europe.

Dogs are also not permitted on flights to and from Morocco and flights to/from the following UK airports:

Glasgow Prestwick
Edinburgh
Belfast City
Leeds
Teesside
Bournemouth
Newquay
Aberdeen

What are Ryanair baggage allowance limits and fees?

Ryanair hand luggage size
Ryanair checked luggage size
Extra baggage & overweight charges
Musical and sport equipment

Ryanair hand luggage size

Ryanair permits either 2 x small bags or briefcases or 1 x cabin bag with a suit or garment bag. One extra, small personal bag is only permitted for Ryanair PLUS, FLEXI fare, Upfront and Extra Legroom customers. Maximum dimensions:

Cabin Bag: 55cm x 40cm 20cm
Small extra bag: 35cm x 20cm x 20cm
Maximum weight: 10kg

Note that if you plan to bring any liquids into the cabin, you can do so as long as they are stored in containers no bigger than 100ml and are carried in a clear, re-sealable plastic bags with maximum dimensions of 20 x 20cm. Each passenger can carry a maximum of 1000ml (e.g. 10 x 100ml).

Also note that Ryanair has a relatively strict policy regarding oversized baggage: In some cases it may be possible to stow the oversized item in the hold of the aircraft for a fee of €50, but this option, due to space requirements, is not always available.

Ryanair checked luggage size

You can check-in up to two bags once you have purchased a checked baggage allowance of either 15 kilos or 20 kilos when you make your initial booking. Business Plus customers receive one 20 kilo checked bag included free of charge. You can also pool your checked luggage allowance with other passengers included in the same flight reservation when checking in together.

Note that each piece of baggage may not exceed a dimension of 81cm x 119cm x 119cm or a weight of 32kg.

Extra baggage & overweight charges

You can check in up to 2 pieces of luggage, and the rate depends on whether it is high season or low.

Low Season: €15 when booked online, €30 at the airport
High Season: €25 when booked online, €40 at the airport

For a full overview of fees for Ryanair baggage, click here.

Musical and sport equipment

Musical instruments and other special luggage items such as sports equipment are allowed in the hold as long as the weight of the item including its case doesn’t exceed 20kg. The following fees apply:

Musical Instruments: 50€ when booked online, €60 at the airport
Bike: €60 when booked online, €70 at the airport
Large sports item: €50 when booked online, €60 at the airport
Ski equipment: €40 when booked online, €45 at the airport
Golf clubs: €30 when booked online, €35 at the airport

Does Ryanair have additional fees and charges?

Booking fees
Flight change fees
Flight cancellation policy
Travel insurance

Booking fees

All new bookings made by credit card will incur a 2% surcharge per person administration fee (based on transaction total). An extra €20 airport booking fee applies if the reservation is not performed online. Also note that a €15 fee will apply if you need to re-issue your boarding card. If checking in at the airport, a €45 fee applies. It is free if done online.

Flight change fees

A Flight Change Fee will apply if you plan to alter your departure date or time (per passenger, per flight) on a Saver ticket:

€30 if done online, €45 if done at the airport during low season.
€40 if done online, €60 if done at the airport during high season.

If you plan to change the name on your flight, a $110 name change fee will apply if done online, or €160 if done at the airport.

Flight cancellation policy

Should your flight be cancelled or delayed by more than 3 hours, you can request a refund.

Travel insurance

Ryanair offers a range of travel insurance products via UK General Insurance (Ireland) Limited, including cover for:

Tickets and Baggage
Flight cancellation
Baggage (delayed and damaged)
Medical and hospital treatment
Cash
Missed departures and
Personal liability

Find the full policy details and request insurance, you will need to contact the Ryanair call centre.

What Ryanair amenities are available?

In-flight entertainment
Food
Seating
Frequent Flyers
Lounges

In-flight entertainment

As Ryanair is a budget airline, in-flight entertainment is currently limited although it is believed to be currently trialling Wifi-based movie streaming on certain flights.

Food

A selection of beverages and light snacks are available for purchase. A bottle of water costs about £3, a small tub of Pringles crisps £2.50, a cup of tea £3. See what’s on the menu at ryanair.com.

Seating

Passengers may buy regular seats (from £5 online, £7.50 via Call Centre), regular seats including priority boarding (£7 online, not available at the airport) or premium seats in rows 1-5, 16 & 17, 32 & 33 (from £10 online or £15 via Call Centre) Passengers who have purchased priority seating (for £2 online or £4 at the airport) with a regular seat will be boarded first.

Seat pitch: 76cm (30in)

Frequent Flyers

Ryanair does not currently have a frequent flyer program. However, it does have a Business Plus plan for £59.99
offering the following benefits:

Flight changes on day of travel
Priority Boarding
Choice of premium seat with extra leg room and quick exit
Free check in at the airport
Fast Tracking of the airport security procedures
Free checked-in 20kg bag (on top of the usual 10kg extra second bag allowed in the cabin)

Lounges

None at present.

How can I contact Ryanair customer service?

Contact
Damaged luggage
Delayed or missing luggage
Ryanair compensation for baggage

Contact

Ryanair can be contacted using the numbers found here.

Damaged luggage

Damage to checked baggage must be reported at your arrival airport and in addition a claim should be submitted to Ryanair within 7 days from the date of bag damage occurring.

Once a claim has been made please be aware of the following:

Copies of original receipt(s) for damaged item(s) will be requested. Damaged items and original receipts must be retained until the claim has been finalised.
A replacement bag receipt in lieu of original damage bag receipt cannot be accepted.
Damaged baggage claims will be processed within 15 working days of receipt.

You can submit your damaged baggage claim online.

Delayed or missing luggage

Loss or delay of checked baggage must be reported at your arrival airport and in addition a claim submitted to Ryanair within 21 days from the date of the misplacement/delay/loss.

Once the claim has been made, be aware of the following:

Copies of original receipt(s) for delayed/lost item(s) will be requested. Original receipts must be retained until the claim has been finalised.
Delayed baggage claims will be processed within 15 working days of receipt.
Lost baggage claims will be processed within 28 working days of receipt (once the full baggage tracing process has been completed).

You can submit your loss or delayed baggage claim online.

Ryanair compensation for baggage

Ryanair’s liability is limited to approximately €1300 per person in respect to the destruction damage or loss to your checked baggage. It is possible to increase this amount by purchasing a Special Checked Baggage of Declaration of Value in advance of your trip (to approximately €2600).

Ryanair Guide was last modified: January 5th, 2016 by Oonagh Shiel