Published 13 June 2026 | Updated 25 October 2026 by Kate Acaster
easyJet check-in opens 30 days before departure and closes 2 hours before your flight. You check in online at easyjet.com or in the easyJet app. easyJet calls itself a digital airline, and its airport desks are there for bag drop. This guide covers the check-in window, bag drop times by airport, Twilight Bag Drop and what happens if you miss your flight. For a wider overview, see the easyJet UK guide.
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| Check-in step | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|
| Online (easyjet.com or app) | 30 days before departure | 2 hours before departure |
| Bag drop (airport) | 2 to 3 hours before departure, by airport | 40 to 60 minutes before departure, by airport |
| Departure gate | Shown on your boarding pass | 30 minutes before departure |
The easyJet check-in window
You can check in any time from 30 days to 2 hours before the flight, according to easyJet’s check-in help page. If you haven’t paid for a seat, easyJet assigns one at random, free, when you check in. It says it will do all it can to seat everyone on a booking together, but that isn’t guaranteed, especially if you check in close to departure. Our guide to easyJet seat selection explains the paid seat options.
Check your documents before you check in. For UK passport holders heading to the EU, easyJet says your passport must be valid for at least three months after the day you plan to leave, and no more than 10 years old on the date of travel. On UK domestic flights, passengers aged 16 and over need photo ID. easyJet accepts a passport (including one that expired up to five years ago), a photocard driving licence (full or provisional), or an EU or Swiss national identity card, among others.
“Thirty days is a long window, and the smart move is to use the front of it. Check in early and the random free seat comes from a fuller choice, so a family has a better shot at sitting together without paying. Leave it to the last two hours and you’re gambling on whatever is left, which on a full flight can mean sitting apart.”Kate Acaster, Chief Editor, Flight Tribe
How to check in online with easyJet
Go to easyjet.com and select Check In, or open the easyJet app. You’ll need your booking reference and the lead passenger’s surname, or you can sign in to your easyJet account. Routes that need Advance Passenger Information will ask for passport or ID card details, date of birth and nationality for each traveller.
Your boarding pass appears at the end of check-in. Keep it in the app or print it. easyJet says you can’t use a PDF scan of your boarding pass on your phone, so don’t screenshot or save it as a file and expect it to scan at the gate.
App vs website: which should you use?
Check-in works the same way on both. The difference is where the boarding pass lives. On the website you print it. In the app it sits on your phone, and you can add it to Apple Wallet or Google Wallet, which lets you open it offline at the airport. One catch: mobile boarding passes don’t work everywhere. easyJet lists 18 airports, including some in Turkey, Egypt, Morocco and Serbia, where you must check in online and print a paper boarding pass.
easyJet bag drop times by airport
If you have a hold bag, you still need to drop it at the airport after checking in online. Times vary by airport:
- Opens 3 hours before, closes 60 minutes before: Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Glasgow, Liverpool, London Luton, Manchester, Newcastle, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Milan Malpensa, Faro, Gran Canaria, Tenerife South, Boa Vista, Sal, São Vicente, and flights from Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia.
- Opens 2.5 hours before, closes 60 minutes before: London Gatwick, Amsterdam, Antalya, Dalaman, Izmir, Milas-Bodrum, Larnaca, Paphos, Lisbon, Lyon, Malaga, Nice and Palma.
- Edinburgh and Zurich: opens 2.5 hours before, closes 50 minutes before.
- Naples: opens 2.5 hours before, closes 40 minutes before.
- Geneva: opens 2 hours before, closes 50 minutes before.
- Pristina: opens 3 hours before, closes 40 minutes before.
- All other airports: opens 2 hours before, closes 40 minutes before.
The gate closes 30 minutes before departure everywhere.
Twilight Bag Drop
Twilight Bag Drop lets you leave your hold bag the evening before an early flight, so you skip the morning queue:
| Airport | Flights departing | Drop-off the night before |
|---|---|---|
| London Gatwick | At or before 08:30 | 20:00 to 22:00 |
| London Luton | At or before 09:00 | 18:00 to 21:00 |
| Manchester | At or before 08:30 | 18:00 to 21:00 |
| Bristol | At or before 08:30 | 18:00 to 21:00 |
| Birmingham | At or before 09:00 | 16:00 to 20:00 |
| Liverpool | At or before 07:30 | 19:30 to 21:00 |
| Belfast | At or before 08:00 | 20:00 to 21:00 |
| Edinburgh | At or before 12:00 | 16:00 to 20:00 |
| Glasgow | At or before 12:00 | 16:00 to 21:00 |
What happens if you miss easyJet check-in?
If online check-in fails or you miss the 2-hour cut-off, ask staff at the bag drop desk before it closes. Once it closes, you won’t be checked in.
If you miss the flight itself, easyJet has a Rescue fee. Arrive at the airport no later than two hours after your flight’s scheduled departure and you can transfer to the next available flight for £110 per passenger, paid at the airport. Miss that window and you’ll need a new booking, unless your travel insurance covers missed departure.
Frequently asked questions
When does easyJet check-in open?
easyJet online check-in opens 30 days before your scheduled departure. You can check in on easyjet.com or in the easyJet app as soon as the window opens.
What is the easyJet online check-in deadline?
Online check-in closes 2 hours before your flight departs. After that, staff at the bag drop desk may be able to help, but only before bag drop closes.
When does easyJet bag drop close?
It depends on the airport. At most UK bases, including Gatwick, Luton, Manchester, Bristol, Birmingham and Glasgow, bag drop closes 60 minutes before departure. At Gatwick easyJet uses the North Terminal, and our Gatwick airport terminals guide covers the drop-off charge and the shuttle to the South Terminal. Edinburgh, Zurich and Geneva close at 50 minutes. Pristina, Naples and airports not on easyJet’s list close at 40 minutes.
Can I use a PDF boarding pass with easyJet?
No. easyJet says you can’t use a PDF scan of your boarding pass on your phone. Use the boarding pass in the easyJet app or your Apple or Google wallet, or print it.
What is easyJet Twilight Bag Drop?
Twilight Bag Drop lets you drop your hold bag the evening before an early flight. UK airports offering it include Gatwick, Luton, Manchester, Bristol, Birmingham, Liverpool, Belfast, Edinburgh and Glasgow. Flight cut-offs run from 07:30 at Liverpool to 12:00 at Edinburgh and Glasgow.
What happens if I miss my easyJet flight?
If you reach the airport no later than two hours after the scheduled departure, you can pay easyJet’s £110 per passenger Rescue fee at the airport to transfer to the next available flight. After that, you’ll need a new booking.
Kate Acaster is Chief Editor at Flight Tribe. She writes about practical travel planning, budget airlines, baggage rules, city breaks, beach holidays and good hotels that do not cost daft money.
Kate has travelled through Europe, South America and beyond, usually with a notebook, a half-formed plan and a strong opinion on airport snacks. At Flight Tribe, her work focuses on helping UK travellers understand what is included, what costs extra, and whether a trip is worth booking at the price shown.
How Kate works
Kate checks the details that can change the value of a trip, including cabin-bag rules, airline fees, hotel location, seasonality, travel dates and booking conditions. She is especially interested in offers that look useful on the surface but need a proper reader-first check before they are worth recommending.
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