New Ryanair bag drop rules apply from Nov 10

Irish budget airline Ryanair has new rules for checking in hold luggage. Here’s what passengers need to know:

Ryanair hold luggage must be dropped earlier

As of November 10, passengers travelling with Ryanair must check in any hold luggage at least 60 minutes before their flight is scheduled to depart. Previously, passengers could check hold luggage as little as 40 minutes before scheduled departure.

According to Ryanair, only 20 percent of its passengers check hold luggage. CMO Dara Brady said in a press release that the change would give passengers who do check in hold luggage “more time to clear airport security and passport control queues and get to their departure gate before boarding begins”. 

However, passengers also have to account for bag drop queues. During busy periods, passengers may have to join the bag drop queue well before the 60-minute deadline to make sure they reach the counter in time to check in their luggage.

New EU rules for luggage from October 2027

While the above changes will only affect a small group of passengers on one airline, from October 23, 2027, all airlines operating in the EU will be obliged to follow new hold and hand luggage rules under Regulation (EU) 2026/2202.

Airline passengers travelling in the EU will be guaranteed a free personal item. This means that standard fares will legally include one small under-seat bag, such as a handbag or backpack measuring up to 40x30x15 cm, at no extra charge.

Airlines and flight comparison search engines will also be obliged to display ticket prices that include hand luggage by default before the booking process starts. Finally, if an approved cabin bag must be placed into the cargo hold due to space constraints or an aircraft swap, airlines cannot charge an additional fee.

The regulation will also introduce stricter timelines for airlines to fulfil compensation claims for flight cancellation and disruption. According to a recent ranking, Ryanair has the third-worst track record among European airlines for successfully processing compensation claims. 

You can find out more about the EU flight rules changing in 2027 in our article, EU flight rules changing in 2027: Free personal bags and faster refunds.