What if I am not able to web check-in?

What if I am unable to do a web check-in?

Okay, so last summer, July 2024, I was flying Ryanair from Dublin back to my folks in Krakow, Poland. Planned a web check-in, y’know, like always. But BAM! Ryanair’s website went belly up. Total meltdown.

Panic kinda set in. No boarding pass. Flight’s in like, three hours. Sweating bullets in my tiny Dublin apartment, right?

I hauled myself to the airport. The Ryanair check-in line? OMG, HUGE. Like, winding through the whole terminal, seriously.

I showed the lady my passport and the confirmation email printout I grabbed at the last second, looking like a drowned rat. She sighs. “You should’ve checked in online”. Tell me something I don’t know, lady!

Paid the airport check-in fee. Ryanair, you absolute goblins. Never forgive, never forget! I was fuming. It’s a tax on being technologically challenged or something.

Got my boarding pass finally. Went through security, almost missed my flight ’cause I was still mad. Lesson bloody learned:

• Always screenshot your boarding pass after web check-in. Even if you print it.
• Factor in extra airport time just in case.
• Ryanair hates you. (joking, mostly).
• Maybe try a different airline next time? nah, too broke.
• Make sure to have all your documents readily accessible – passport, booking confirmation – saves you time and stress.
• If web check-in fails, don’t freak out, head to the airport counter, be prepared to pay a fee, and act NICE (even if you want to scream).

Now I make sure to check the airline’s website a day before the flight, just in case it’s acting up. Also, I set up alerts for any potential flight changes and whatnot! The airport’s kinda changed now! They got self-service kiosks. Maybe those would’ve helped, I guess.

What if online check-in is not available?

No online check-in? Fine. Call them.

Reasons why:

• System’s down. Happens.
• Booking issues. Double check the details, like name discrepancies. Small errors can cause major problems. My middle name once caused a delay. Painful.
• Flight changes. Routes get rerouted. Schedules shift.
• Aircraft swaps. Different planes mean different configurations. Seat assignments could vanish.
• Random security checks. They choose, you wait.
• Overbooking. Airlines sell more seats than exist. Cold calculus.
• Technical difficulties. Tech is infallible. Until it isn’t.
• Certain fares. Basic fares often have limitations.
• Unpaid fees. Extra baggage costs extra.
• Special assistance requests. Some need more attention.

Phone’s the shortest route. Less drama that way.

Why is online check-in sometimes not available?

Ugh, online check-in failed again. What gives?

• Security screening? Probably. Always happens to me, darn it.

  • Random selection process? Yeah, right. Feels targeted.

• Ticket problems? Nah, I triple-checked it this time.

  • Maybe the airline’s website is glitching? It’s happened before…

Oh, I hate this. It ALWAYS happens when I’m flying to see my Aunt Carol. Is it something about her town? No, that is crazy!

Ugh, now I have to get to the airport EXTRA early. More time dealing with lines. Maybe I should just start packing snacks. More snacks? Always more snacks are good.

What if online check in is not available?

Ugh, remember that time last year, July 2022, flying from Gatwick to Barcelona? My flight was with Ryanair, and guess what? Online check-in was completely screwed. My phone was acting up, wouldn’t load the Ryanair app, the website was a disaster. Pure panic. I was already running late.

Heart pounding, practically sprinting to the airport. Seriously stressed. Traffic was insane. Missed the train too. I was absolutely livid. Missed my online check-in window.

I swear, the queue at the Ryanair desk was a mile long. Sweat dripping. People were grumpy. It took forever. Almost missed my flight. The staff weren’t exactly friendly, either. They looked stressed. I was stressed. Everybody was stressed.

Lesson learned: Always have a backup plan.

• Download airline apps days before your flight.
• Check for glitches early.
• Allow extra time, seriously, way more time than you think you need.
• Maybe print your boarding pass just in case.

Next time, I’m doing things differently. No more relying solely on online check-in. It’s just not worth the stress and potential disaster. This whole thing completely ruined the start of my holiday. It was supposed to be relaxing. I paid extra for priority boarding, which felt like the only thing that saved me. I will never do that again, so expensive. I’ll just make sure I’m early.