Ryanair's lesser-known fee which could be slapped on unsuspecting passengers at the airport could see travellers forking out £100 on-the-spot.

Ryanair passengers who want to avoid the hefty £100 will need to be at thedesk at least 40 minutes before their scheduled departure. Aptly put, the new fine is called the missed departure fee, and is designed to clamp down on people who arrive at the airport far too late. According to the budget airline’s website, the fee also applies to passengers who arrive after their flight has departed and wish to be added onto a later flight. Only passengers who arrive less than 40 minutes before their departure or up to one hour after a missed departure are subject to this fee.

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Even passengers that arrive at the airport before the 40-minute pre-flight deadline may be subject to an additional charge. Ryanair passengers that opt to check-in at the airport check-in desk (as opposed to via the myRyanair app) will be subject to a £55 fee.

It should be noted though that passengers with a Flexi Plus ticket can check in at the airport for free. However, if you’re one of the few hold-outs that refuse to go digital despite the fee, you will not have a choice come November. The budget airline has announced a new policy that will mean an end to airport check-ins. Last October, the budget airline announced their plans to phase out physical passes. This new policy would then require passengers to check-in online and download a PDF version of their boarding passes via the Ryanair app.

When , first announced the policy he indicated it would take full effect by May 2025. Luckily for some, the move to paperless-only boarding passes has to begin on November 3, 2025.

The airline confirmed that the phase-out of physical boarding passes will coincide with the removal of its airport check-in desks. According to O’Leary, this full digital service is designed to “create a smoother, easier journey for everybody.” O’Leary also confirmed that scrapping airport check-in desks means an end to the annoying and sometimes unexpected check-in fees. A small incentive for those that are averse to downloading the app. If you haven’t done so already, the process for setting up an account is painless and easy. In fact, according to the airline, 80% of their 200 million passengers already use boarding passes. Here’s a step-by-step guide for the as-yet initiated.