Ryanair’s boarding system changes today: passengers risk extra costs if they’re unprepared!
From 12 November, Ryanair has officially gone paperless: all passengers will now be required to use digital boarding passes when boarding the airline’s flights. The move aims to make Ryanair the world’s first fully paper-free airline – though the decision has already raised concerns among some travellers and travel agencies.
Full transition to digital boarding passes
Under the new system, printed boarding passes will be completely phased out and replaced by digital versions generated in the myRyanair mobile app. Passengers will no longer need a paper ticket at the airport; instead, they must present a QR code on their smartphone when boarding. According to Ryanair, 80–90% of its customers were already using digital boarding passes, so the change will not significantly affect most passengers.
The airline claims that the transition will help save over 300 tonnes of paper waste per year, representing a major step forward in its environmental sustainability efforts.
What if you don’t have a smartphone?
The new system has prompted questions, especially from older passengers or those less comfortable with technology. According to the Association of Hungarian Travel Agencies (MUISZ), the fully digital approach could pose problems for travellers who do not own smartphones or prefer traditional paper-based methods, Turizmus.com reports.
Ryanair has offered reassurance: passengers who cannot use the app can simply take a photo or screenshot of the boarding pass generated during online check-in and present it at the airport. If a phone runs out of battery or malfunctions, the passenger’s details will still be available in the airport’s system, allowing them to board without extra charges – provided they have already checked in online.
However, travellers who fail to complete online check-in at least two hours before departure will still need to pay a EUR 55 airport check-in fee.
Group bookings and baggage check-in
For group travel managed by agencies, Ryanair recommends that agencies continue to handle check-ins as usual and then send images of the boarding passes to customers via email or message. This prevents passengers from seeing each other’s personal data, ensuring compliance with GDPR regulations.
As for baggage check-in, Ryanair confirmed that passengers may still choose between using airport self-service kiosks or staffed check-in counters. The lack of the mobile app will not prevent travellers from dropping off their luggage.
Works offline too
Experts from Weco-Travel emphasise that online check-in remains available both via ryanair.com and through travel agencies. The digital boarding pass can also be accessed offline in the app, meaning a weak mobile signal or lack of internet access will not be an issue.
Sustainability and cost efficiency
Ryanair justified the change on both economic and environmental grounds. The paperless system is designed to reduce waste, speed up airport processes, and ultimately help lower ticket prices in the long run.
However, several advocacy groups – including Ireland’s Age Action – have warned that full digitalisation could exclude older travellers who may lack suitable devices or digital skills, according to RTÉ.
I rarely use the same airline more than once, maybe twice, per year; and often less. There is NO WAY IN HELL I’m downloading and setting up an app for each one.
They need to make their boarding passes available in the .pkpass or similar format so passengers can import them into a standalone app that is usable with all airlines’ boarding passes.
Ridiculous.
“There is NO WAY IN HELL I’m downloading and setting up an app for each one”
Then don’t! It’s your loss.