A major change is set to sweep UK airports that will see boarding passes and in-person check-ins scrapped. The update will eventually see passengers issued with a digital journey pass containing their personal and travel details.
In practice, this means that if you are taking a flight you will be able to upload your passport to your phone and pass through airports seamlessly with facial recognition. It also means there will be no need to check in for flights online or at the airport.
As reported by The Daily Express, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) – the UN body responsible for policy – is creating this new digital travel credential. The change is expected to take effect within the next two to three years.
While these changes are being hailed as “the biggest in 50 years” by travel experts, it is still important to keep up to date on the current rules. Especially when airlines are regularly announcing their own check-in updates. That said, here is an overview of the check-in rules for the UK’s most popular carriers.
The budget airline made waves in 2024 when it announced a plan to scrap physical check-in services and boarding passes. While the airline initially planned to implement the change-over by May 2025, this has now been postponed to November.
Still, the airline encourages passengers to check-in via the Ryanair.com website or on their mobile app. Passengers that have pre-reserved a seat can check in online up to 60 days before their scheduled departure. Passengers that have opted for random seat allocation can check-in 24 hours before your flight and until two hours before scheduled departure.
For the time being, Ryanair passengers can still check-in at the airport, though you will be subject to an airport check-in fee. The airport check-in fee is a standard £55, though it is reduced to £30 for flights departing from Spain. If you do not check in online up to two hours before your departure, you have until 40 minutes before boarding begins to check-in in-person.
easyJet passengers can check-in online or on the airline’s mobile app. Online check in will open 30 days before your flight’s departure date and close two hours before departure time.
Alternatively, easyJet passengers can download or print their boarding passes and show ID at the gate. Keep in mind that you cannot use a PDF scan of your boarding pass at airport security as these will not scan. Instead download the free easyJet mobile app or simply print your pass.
While checking in online, passengers can also make any last-minute booking updates, including adding luggage or selecting a seat. But be aware, if you make booking changes after checking in, you will need to check in again and reprint your boarding pass.
Jet2 check-in desks will open two to three hours before your scheduled flight time depending on your departure airport. Passengers can alternatively check-in online up to six hours before scheduled departure. All Jet2 check-in desks close 40 minutes prior to departure, so ensure you arrive well ahead of boarding. You can present either a physical boarding pass or a downloaded version on your mobile device.
Online check-in times for TUI vary depending on your flight class. Passengers with Premium, Extra Legroom seats or Extra Space seats or who have chosen the Select Your Seat option will be able to check-in 14 days before their departure date. Online check-in for all other passenger groups will open 48 hours before departure date.
TUI passengers need to check in separately for outbound and inbound flights. If you aren’t able to check in online for any reason, you can check in at the airport and retrieve a physical boarding pass at either a TUI Holiday Store or from the TUI bag drop desk.
Online and in-app check in for British Airways passengers opens 24 hours before scheduled departures. Passengers checking in online will have the option to either print their boarding pass or download it to any smart device including mobile phones, iPads or Apple Watches. British Airways also has check-in kiosks where passengers will be able to print their boarding pass up to 3 hours prior to departure.
At Reach and across our entities we and our partners use information collected through cookies and other identifiers from your device to improve experience on our site, analyse how it is used and to show personalised advertising. You can opt out of the sale or sharing of your data, at any time clicking the “Do Not Sell or Share my Data” button at the bottom of the webpage. Please note that your preferences are browser specific. Use of our website and any of our services represents your acceptance of the use of cookies and consent to the practices described in our Privacy Notice and Cookie Notice.