Check in when your airline opens the window
Online check-in confirms you are taking the flight and usually lets you obtain a boarding pass. Have your booking reference and any requested travel document details ready, and copy them carefully from the document you will use.
As checked on 7 October 2026, easyJet opens online check-in 30 days before departure and closes it two hours before. Ryanair’s random-seat check-in opens 24 hours before and closes two hours before; a reserved seat can allow check-in up to 60 days ahead. These are examples, not a shared timetable for every airline.
Make sure you actually have a boarding pass
A booking confirmation or payment receipt is not a boarding pass. Finish all required check-in steps and follow the airline’s current instructions for its app, a mobile pass or a printed pass at your departure airport.
Check that each passenger and each flight has the required pass. Charge your phone, open the pass before leaving Wi-Fi and check whether it remains available offline. Some journeys require an airport document check even after online check-in, so read any message attached to the pass.
Allow time for bag drop and document checks
If you have checked luggage, online check-in does not remove the bag-drop deadline. Ryanair currently says its airport check-in and bag-drop desks close 40 minutes before departure unless you are told otherwise. Arriving at the airport at that time is already too late to join a queue safely.
Look up your airline’s airport-specific opening and closing times, then allow time for transport delays and the queue. Travel document checks, assistance arrangements and travelling with children may add steps before security.
Work backwards from the gate closing time
Find the gate closing time on your boarding information or airline instructions. Departure time is later: the aircraft can still be at the stand after boarding has finished.
Plan time for security, any border checks and the walk or shuttle to the gate. Follow your airline and airport’s recommended arrival time for that airport and route; a generic two-hour rule is not enough for every journey. Check airport screens after security because gates can change.
Check the return flight while you still have a connection
If return check-in opens during your trip, set a reminder in the relevant local time and keep your travel document details accessible. Make sure another traveller is not relying on a boarding pass stored only on your phone.
For a connection, confirm whether you already have the next boarding pass and whether your checked bag is tagged through. Separate tickets can require collecting luggage and checking in again; build that into your plan before booking a short connection.
Mobile data for your trip. Check what your current plan includes for roaming. If you need another option for maps, messages and booking details, compare NXTL eSIM coverage and rates. Check that your phone supports eSIM and is unlocked, and check coverage for every stop. Download important maps and confirmations for offline use too.
Check before you go
Airline allowances, check-in deadlines and airport rules can change. Check the rules for every flight in your booking before you travel.
