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Check-in and Bag Drop Cut-off Times: What Each UK Airline Allows

Most UK budget airlines close check-in and bag drop 40 minutes before departure. Ryanair moves to 60 minutes on 10 November 2026. easyJet closes 60 minutes before at Manchester, Gatwick, Luton and Birmingham. British Airways closes 45 minutes before most short-haul flights. The times run from scheduled departure, and the airlines treat them as strict.

Sumcraft Editorial Team5 min read

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Checked on 22 October 2026. Updated 25 October 2026: Ryanair's airport check-in and bag drop close 60 minutes before departure from 10 November 2026. Every time below comes from the airline's own help pages, linked at the end. Times count back from scheduled departure. easyJet says its times still apply if your flight is delayed, unless it tells you otherwise.

Cut-off times by airline

AirlineDesks openCheck-in and bag drop closeBoarding gate closes
Ryanair2 hours before, at the latest40 minutes before until 9 November 2026. 60 minutes before from 10 November 202630 minutes before
easyJet2 to 3 hours before, by airport40 to 60 minutes before, by airport (see below)30 minutes before
Jet2At least 2 hours 30 minutes before (4 hours at Manchester)40 minutes beforeNot stated
Wizz Air2 hours before40 minutes beforeNot stated
British AirwaysVaries by airport45 minutes before most short-haul flights (see below)Not stated
TUI2 to 3 hours before, at UK airports45 minutes beforeNot stated

easyJet: the 60-minute airports

easyJet's bag drop cut-off depends on the airport you fly from.

Bag drop closesUK airports
60 minutes beforeBelfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Glasgow, Liverpool, London Gatwick, London Luton, Manchester, Newcastle
50 minutes beforeEdinburgh
40 minutes beforeAll other airports

Bag drop opens 3 hours before at most of the 60-minute UK airports. At Gatwick and Edinburgh it opens 2 hours 30 minutes before.

British Airways by airport

AirportCheck-in closes
Heathrow and Gatwick45 minutes before short-haul, 60 minutes before long-haul
London City30 minutes before all flights
London Stansted60 minutes before all flights
Manchester and Edinburgh60 minutes before
Most other short-haul airports45 minutes before

BA also offers overnight bag drop at London City and Heathrow Terminals 3 and 5. It is for flights leaving the next morning before 10:00.

Online check-in windows

  • easyJet: opens 30 days before and closes 2 hours before departure.
  • Wizz Air: opens 30 days before if you bought a seat, or 24 hours before if not. It closes 3 hours before departure.

Quick answers

  • What is Ryanair's 40-minute rule? Until 9 November 2026, Ryanair's check-in and bag drop desks "close strictly 40 minutes before your flight departure". From 10 November 2026 they close 60 minutes before. Its boarding gates close 30 minutes before.
  • What is the 45-minute rule? British Airways closes check-in 45 minutes before most short-haul flights. TUI desks also close 45 minutes before.
  • Can I check my bag 20 minutes before a flight? Not with any airline here. The shortest cut-off we found is BA's 30 minutes at London City.
  • What is the difference between check-in and bag drop? Check-in gets you a boarding pass, and you can do it online. Bag drop is the desk where you hand over hold luggage. With no hold bag and an online boarding pass, you go straight to security.

How much time to allow

Work back from the cut-off, not from departure. Add your journey, parking and a buffer for queues. Then check your airport's security advice. If you carry liquids, our UK airport liquids guide tells you whether to pack to 100ml or 2 litres.

Sources, checked 22 October 2026:

  • Check-in
  • Bag drop
  • Ryanair
  • easyJet
  • Airport

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