Ryanair passengers face being charged an extra £55 on top of their booking for making a simple check-in mistake.

The low-cost airline is popular among British holidaymakers thanks to its cheap fares, but while it caters for low budgets passengers do have to be wary of being stung by additional fees for luggage, seats and checking-in for flights. Ryanair allows passengers to check-in for flights online 60 days before their scheduled departure date, providing you've paid for an allocated seat. For those who haven't bought a seat (which costs up to £21.50) and opted for the free random seat allocation instead, then online check-in opens 24 hours before departure.

The online check-in closes two hours before flights depart and any passengers who don't complete it in time will instead have to check-in at the airport for a £55 charge.

The £55 check-in fee is charged per passenger, so if you’re a family of four you face being charged £220 on the spot at the airport.

There is a slightly lower charge on flights from Spain, with airport check-in fees coming to £30 per passenger.  And if you're a Flexi Plus passenger then the airport check-in fee is free, but only if flights have been booked through the Ryanair website or app.

It is possible to dodge the £55 charge if you check-in for your flight before arriving at the airport, but you have a limited window in which to do this and, crucially, you have to remember to do it.

Ryanair says: “You must check in online at www.ryanair.com and print or download your boarding pass, unless you have a Flexi Plus ticket, in which case you can check in at the airport for free.

“Unless you have a Plus or Flexi Plus ticket, if you do not check in online more than two hours before the scheduled departure time, you will be charged the airport check-in fee set out in our table of fees. 

“The check-in desks close strictly 40 minutes before the scheduled departure time unless you are notified otherwise before flight departure. If you do not check-in by then you may be denied boarding without refund.”

Passengers who check-in online ahead of arriving at the airport can print copies of their boarding pass, or download it, up to two hours before the scheduled departure time.

Ryanair adds: “Your boarding pass must be printed on a single A4 page or downloaded through our app.”

If you need your boarding card to be re-issued, Ryanair will charge passengers flying before November 3, 2025, a fee of £20 at the airport, but this fee will drop to £0 after this date.