Ryanair is set to implement a major update to its ticketing system starting November 12. After this date, the airline will issue ‘100% Digital Boarding Passes’ (DBP), and physical tickets will generally not be accepted at most airports.
Originally planned for May 2025, this initiative aims to eradicate certain fees and save approximately 300 tonnes of paper annually, whilst providing passengers with direct flight updates.
Now, The Express has outlined three key questions and answers about the new scheme, based on official information from Ryanair. You can also find out more about the boarding pass change on the airline’s website here.
1. How can I get a digital boarding pass?
Passengers can check in online at Ryanair.com or via the Ryanair App, available on Apple’s App Store and Google Play. The Express advises passengers to complete this process prior to arriving at the airport to avoid additional charges.
Following check-in, a DBP will automatically appear in the Ryanair App. This should be presented at airport security and the boarding gate before your flight.
The budget airline stated that this method is ‘quicker, easier,’ and results in ‘less stress’ compared to using paper tickets.
2. What happens if my phone dies or I lose it before boarding?
Misplacing your mobile phone can be incredibly stressful, but Ryanair’s chief executive Michael O’Leary has told travellers it won’t prevent them from boarding their flight.
In a chat on The Independent’s daily travel podcast, he has said: “The big concern that people have is: ‘What happens if I lose my battery or what if I lose my phone?’
“…If you lose your phone, no issue. As long as you’ve checked in before you got to the airport, we’ll reissue a paper boarding pass at the airport free of charge.”
Mr O’Leary also highlighted that even if your device runs out of battery, airport staff will have access to each passenger’s ‘sequence number’ at the departure gate. This means travellers should still be permitted to board without their phone, so ‘nobody should worry’.
Advice on Ryanair’s website echoes this, adding: “If you have already checked in online and you lose your smartphone or tablet (or it dies), your details are already on our system and you will be assisted at the gate.”
3. What if the airport Wi-Fi is poor, or I have no mobile data?
Ryanair has confirmed that once passengers have completed online check-in, their DBP will remain accessible offline within the Ryanair App. However, its website guidance emphasises: “All Ryanair passengers will still receive email reminders to check-in online 48 and 24hrs predeparture.
“If any passenger arrives at airport but hasn’t checked in online (having ignored these reminders), they will still be required to pay the airport check-in fee.”
Currently, the fee is set at £55/€55 per passenger for most flights. However, passengers flying out of Spain are obliged to pay £30/€30, while those departing from Austria will be hit with a £40/€40 charge.
