The hustle and bustle of getting through the airport can be quite the stressful experience, especially when it comes to the mad dash to the gate once your departure details appear on the board. In this frantic moment, travellers often sprint to their assigned gate, eager to secure a spot at the front of the boarding line.
However, for those flying with certain carriers, there’s a clever trick that seasoned travellers like Chelsea, known as @cheapholidayexpert to her TikTok audience, swear by. Chelsea is well-known for sharing budget-friendly travel tips with her followers.
In a recent post, she unveils a lesser-known feature of the Ryanair app that could give you an edge over other passengers.
Her video is intriguingly captioned: “Did you know Ryanair did this? ! The hack that helps you be the FIRST at your gate”, and while some savvy travellers might already use this feature, Chelsea suggests that it’s not widely known.
In the TikTok, Chelsea is at a busy airport. She says: “I’m at Stansted, and the departures board is not currently showing my gate.
“However, I’m flying with Ryanair and they have not only pushed the notification to my phone to tell me that my gate has been updated, but I can go into the app and see what it is.”
Pointing to the departures board, she adds: “And it’s way before this is updated.”
Travellers with cabin bags often aim to be at the front of the queue, especially when flying with budget airlines. This is due to some fares not guaranteeing overhead compartment space for your cabin bag, leading some passengers needing to check their bags in.
For those keen to secure a spot at the front of the line, keeping tabs on the Ryanair app could be a game-changer. Chelsea joked: “So if you’re someone who loves to get to the front of the queue, couldn’t be me, I’m gonna stay here in Leon, it’s definitely worth keeping your eye on that as well.”
Ryanair isn’t the only airline offering this service; budget airline easyJet also provides this feature. As mentioned on their website: “If you’ve downloaded our mobile app and enabled notifications, we’ll also try to send gate information direct to your phone (where available). You should make your way to the gate as soon as possible.”
If your boarding pass is downloaded on an app, it might display the gate number before it appears on the boards. Airline apps such as Wizz Air offer this feature.
However, some seasoned travellers have cautioned about potential issues with this service. One person remarked: “Have to be careful with this as they can change the gate before it’s announced on the screens. Especially if the flight is after midday.”
Another traveller warned: “I’d be careful doing this as sometimes the gate can change last minute as it depends what stand the aircraft parks on upon landing”. A more relaxed passenger shared: “Nah I’m waiting for a good 10 mins after it’s up on the airport screens.
“No way am I standing up in that Ryanair queue to board when I can see from flight radar that the plane hasn’t even arrived yet”.