Ryanair app bug made me miss my flight
Ryanair’s new "digital only" boarding pass system just cost me a flight and a new last minute ticket.
I had checked in online via the Ryanair website well before the deadline and had a seat assigned. Later, at the airport, I installed and opened the Ryanair app for the first time (after online check‑in had closed, but still in time for the flight, yeah i know i could have arrived a bit earlier).
The app showed my reservation but refused to display the boarding pass. It only said "check‑in closed" and gave me no way to access the pass, even though I was already checked in. Check‑in desks at the airport were closed by then since it was a late flight, so I couldn’t get a printed pass either. Security wouldn’t let me through without a boarding pass, so I missed the flight and had to buy a new ticket for.
On another flight I tested this with two phones:
Phone A: I had the app installed and opened my booking before check‑in closed. The digital boarding pass downloaded and showed correctly.
Phone B: I installed the app and opened the same booking after check‑in closed. The app again only showed "check‑in closed" and never fetched the boarding pass, even though I was already checked in and could see it on phone A.
So it looks like if you first install/open the app on a device after online check‑in closes, the app blocks you from retrieving an already‑existing boarding pass.
I’ve opened a complaint with Ryanair, but posting here as a warning:
Install the app and make sure your boarding pass actually appears before check‑in closes.
Take screenshots of your boarding pass.