If you're flying Ryanair with a checked bag this winter, set your alarm a bit earlier. From Tuesday 10 November, the airline's bag drop desks at every airport it serves will shut 60 minutes before scheduled departure, up from the current 40-minute cut-off.

The airline announced the tweak back in April and is now reminding passengers as the date approaches. Roughly one in five Ryanair customers checks in a bag — the rest travel light with hand luggage only — and the change targets that fifth. Ryanair says the extra 20 minutes gives bag-checkers a better shot at clearing security and passport control queues before boarding starts, especially at peak times when those lines stretch long. The airline's CMA, Dara Brady, framed it as a way to cut down on the small but frustrating number of passengers who check a bag and then miss their flight because of airport delays.

Hand-luggage-only travellers are untouched. If you've checked in online — which Ryanair requires anyway — you can still head straight through security to your gate without worrying about the desk closure. But if you've paid for a 20kg case, arriving at the airport with only 45 minutes to spare now means your bag isn't flying with you.

There's also a wider warning attached to this story. Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary told a Brussels news conference that European airfares could rise by as much as 20 per cent in 2027 — what he called the biggest fare increase in history. His reasoning: higher jet fuel costs, driven by disruption around the Strait of Hormuz, plus consolidation among airlines reducing the number of available seats. None of that is confirmed, but it's a reason to book trips sooner rather than later if you spot a good fare.

Why it matters for travellers: this is a small rule change with big consequences if you get it wrong. The old 40-minute rhythm no longer applies anywhere on the Ryanair network, so build the extra buffer into your morning — especially at larger, busier airports where security alone can eat half an hour. And for the 80 per cent flying with just a backpack, nothing changes except the need to check in online before you reach the terminal.

Who's affected: anyone flying Ryanair with checked luggage from 10 November onwards, at all the airline's airports — so across its whole European and North African network, not just one country.