Prior to the spring of 2009, U.S. passport holders traveling on Ryanair flights were obliged to use the airline check-in desks. This policy has since changed, and now U.S. citizens can avail themselves of the option to check in online. Should you decide to exercise this option, be sure to print out your boarding pass prior to heading to the airport. A hefty fee awaits those who show up without the print-outs. (In all my experiences to date, when flying round trip, I was able to print out boarding passes for both outbound and homeward journeys at the same time.)  

Also, be aware that your boarding pass will need to be stamped by Ryanair staff before you proceed through security and passport control. If you are traveling with checked baggage, the staff may provide you with the document/visa stamp at the time you drop off your baggage without prompting. If you are traveling with just a carry-on, your natural instinct would be to proceed directly through security. However, you might just find yourself being turned back if you are not in possession of the all-important document/visa stamp, which would leave you no option but to go back to the Ryanair check-in desk, as well as retrace your steps through security.

This policy is spelled out on the Ryanair Web site under “Travel Questions,” “Passports & Visas,” “Non EU/EEA passengers – Document check requirements for online check-in?” This text mentions a document/visa check desk, so it’s worthwhile to check and see if one exists at the airport from which you are traveling; if not, I’ve always done OK with obtaining my stamp at the baggage drop-off desk for my destination. Research I have done on the Web suggests those who fail to obtain stamps have often been denied boarding of their flights at the gate. For more on this topic, see The Irish Times’ Ryanair defends visa check for non-EU citizens.

Finally, a word of warning to anyone traveling out of London’s Stansted Airport these days. When flying on a late-morning flight just this past Labor Day, a regular non-holiday Monday for the United Kingdom, the lines to get through security were so long I barely made my flight. The interval between the closing of the check-in desk and the flight’s departure time did not seem to offer anywhere near enough time to clear formalities, so plan your journey with plenty of time built in for any eventuality.