Travel experts warn of 'havoc' at UK airports as Ryanair plans major boarding pass change

Holidaymakers should be aware of a major change expected to come into force later this year with one of the UK's biggest airlines.

Ryanair announced plans last year that it was planning to phase out paper boarding passes and check-in desks, according to consumer experts at Which?. The airline's CEO Michael O'Leary said this change is expected to be put in place by May 2025, impacting millions of customers ahead of the busy summer holiday season this year.

Passengers with Ryanair currently have the option of downloading the app and using a 'mobile pass', printing out a physical paper boarding pass at home, or requesting a paper boarding pass at the airport for an extra £55. But travel experts have warned that the switch to digital-only could lead to "havoc" at airports this summer, RSVP Live reports.

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Travel expert Eoghan Corry told RSVP Live: "There is one very big rule change and it's to do with boarding passes. Ryanair said they're not going to take printed boarding passes this summer. I'm not sure what will happen. There will be absolute havoc when that takes effect."

He added: "There are a lot of people still turning up with boarding passes. Ryanair says it's a very small proportion, less than 20%, but it's still 20%. So when they say no more printed boarding passes, there is going to be havoc."

It's also worth noting that Ryanair has previously warned its passengers that there are some destinations where digital boarding passes are not yet accepted. This includes some airports in Turkey and Morocco, as well as Tirana Airport in the capital city of Albania - meaning that holidaymakers heading to these destinations will still need to download or print their passes.

The Ryanair website section on boarding passes advises: "You can access your boarding pass via 'My Bookings' on the Ryanair.com website or the Ryanair App.

"If you have checked in online and forgot your boarding pass, you can access it at any time in the Ryanair app. If you are at the airport and do not have the Ryanair App or cannot access it, we can print one for you at the check-in desk, but you will be charged a boarding card reissue fee."

However, consumer experts at Which? have pointed out that issues could arise if a passenger's phone dies at the airport once Ryanair goes digital-only with its boarding passes, particularly with the plans for 2025 also including the phasing out of check-in desks.

"Though it has said that it can print boarding passes on the gate if necessary, based on passport information, it did not clarify what would happen if a traveller's phone dies before they are able to pass through security in an airport where Ryanair has removed the check-in desks," Which? said.