Pre-Queue and Boarding Procedures

Issue 2 Rev 9 17/02/2022

Introduction
It’s important that everyone follows each step of pre queue and boarding an aircraft correctly as we
do not want to make any mistakes. If mistakes are made you could potentially delay an aircraft or
board a passenger in error.

Aim
To ensure all participants have the knowledge and skills to successfully board an aircraft within the
25-minute turnaround as per Ryanair procedure.

Objectives
• By the end of this session you will be able to list and explain each step of boarding an Aircraft.

• Outline the importance of following procedures

• Know what is involved in the Pre-Queue process

• Understand dangerous goods requirements

• Understand results and impact of boarding errors and lack of preparation (pre queue)

The majority of our passengers do not go to the bag drop so their first interaction with staff
is at the gate. Good customer service is very important as first impressions last. Boarding
should be friendly, efficient and announcements always clear.

©Ryanair Group Training Department 1 17/02/2022

WET LEASING
For operational reasons, a flight may be operated by another carrier within the Ryanair Group, this is
called Wet leasing.

At the point of reservation, the customer is informed if the aircraft is being operated by another
carrier e.g. FR1901 DUB – KRK operated by Buzz

On the day of departure, you must establish if a flight is being operated by a different carrier as we
quite often have last minute aircraft changes it is a regulatory requirement to inform the customer
during the boarding announcement. This information can be found in departures mode in GoNow.

Manual Airports & airports using local DCS must have a local process established to ensure that staff
are aware of a change of operator.

Does everybody know what a 25-minute turnaround is?

When the aircraft arrives on stand the ground crew, gate agents and crew on board have 25 minutes
for passengers to disembark and bags to be offloaded ready for the new passengers to be boarded
and their bags loaded, LIR and LID completed and aircraft pushed back for departure.

The majority of our passengers do not go to the bag drop so their first interaction with staff is at the
gate. Good customer service is very important as first impressions last. Boarding should be friendly,
efficient and announcements always clear.

25 Minute Turnaround
Document available for download from www.groundops.com and must be carried by all ramp and
gate agents. Agents must be familiar with the steps and their involvement in the turnaround.

©Ryanair Group Training Department 2 17/02/2022

25 Minute turnaround video

©Ryanair Group Training Department 3 17/02/2022

©Ryanair Group Training Department 4 17/02/2022
Pre-Q -50
Boarding steps
1. Arrive at the gate at -50 or earlier where required/ open flight

2. Assembly Call

3. Pre-Queue

4. Pre-board passengers into secure area

5. Close Flight -15 STD

Boarding Steps

It is essential to the operation that this process is started at -50 prior to departure time.
If the Pre- Q is not started on time this could result in the agents being under pressure while
boarding taking payments or checking documents which could delay the aircraft.

Step 1 – Organise (-50)

This is what you do before customers arrive, to make sure you are ready when they do. You need to
allow some time; in case something is wrong when you arrive at the gate.
• Position baggage sizer at the entrance to the queue area.
• Ensure signage is clear & accurate.
• Deploy Tensa barriers to form 2 queues – Priority/Non-priority Queues.
• Make sure that the pre-board area (where available) is clean & free of hazards.

STEP 2 – ANNOUNCE

You may well be the first member of staff that customers see, so you create the important first
impression.
• Relax & smile. You are a professional and customers are relying on you to deliver a
professional service.
• Use the microphone. It will ensure customers hear your instructions, without the need to
shout.
• Speak slowly & clearly. Not all customers will be native speakers of English or the local
language.
• Follow the script. It is designed to be clear & to make sure that customers get the
information they need. The script can be found on the 4steps 3 checks list which is found on
ECrew
• If the flight is being operated by another carrier you must add “Flight operated by XXX (Buzz,
Malta Air, Lauda Europe, Ryanair UK).
• Passengers must be made aware their flight is being operated by another carrier and it will
also help prevent potential misboarded passengers.

©Ryanair Group Training Department 5 17/02/2022

Assembly call
“AIRLINE” Flight XX ___ to ___ will board shortly at gate ___.
Please note your seat and board through the front or rear door.’’
Note: “flight operated by XXX” where required (Ryanair Sun, UK etc.)

Gate Closure

(When boarding of Priority Q has ended)

“Final call “AIRLINE” flight XX ___ to ___ will close shortly at gate ___.”

Delayed Flight

(If aircraft to arrive later than STD)

“AIRLINE” flight XX ___ to ___. Your aircraft will now arrive at (TIME)
Boarding will start at gate ___ once the aircraft arrives on stand.”

Gate Change

“AIRLINE” flight XX to ___, will now board through gate ___. We apologise for any
inconvenience.”

Toilets Not Working Announcement/ Procedure

In the rare event that there is a technical problem with all toilets on board, permission may be
granted by the chief engineer or deputy chief engineer for the flight to depart with no serviceable
toilets, once also agreed by the captain and the flight is no longer than 2 hours and 20 minutes long.
The procedure for this is as follows:

Gate agents will be making the PA at the gate area only:

“For attention of passengers travelling on “AIRLINE” flight XX ___ to ___.

Due to a technical problem, toilets may be unavailable on board your flight today.
Passengers wishing to use the toilet should avail of the facilities in the gate area prior
to boarding. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.”

Step 3 – Checks
From STD -50, agents should engage with customers that are present in the queue system, when
appropriate start with the Other Q to identify any passengers with additional baggage. It is essential
this process is started at -50 as you will then have time to process any payments or deal with any
difficult situations if they arise and avoid any delays to the aircraft.

©Ryanair Group Training Department 6 17/02/2022

3 CHECKS REQUIRED:

1. PRIORITY/NON-PRIORITY Q – Is the customer in the correct queue? If not, agent must

direct them to the correct queue. Agents must ensure there is clear signage such as bus stop signs to
help passengers join the correct queue otherwise you will have a mixture of both Priority and non-
Priority in the queues which can cause confusion when checking passenger’s baggage.

The order of boarding is as follows –

• Priority Queue
• Non-Priority Queue
• Passengers with Reduced Mobility (PRM’s) can be pre-boarded once at the gate. In all
instances, PRM’s should be boarded at the earliest convenience.

Boarding PRM’S
• When gate agents arrive to the gate they must check how many PRM’S are on the flight and
what type of assistance is required.
For safety reasons Ryanair can only carry a maximum of 4 customers per flight who are
travelling with an assistance dog, who are blind/vision impaired requiring assistance, have
limited or no mobility in the cabin or have an intellectual disability. This restriction is in place

©Ryanair Group Training Department 7 17/02/2022

 to prioritise the safety of disabled or reduced mobility customers as well as that of other
customers, particularly in any emergency evacuation.
To check how many PRM’S are on a flight in Skyport you must choose the ‘check in’ option in
the airport main menu, press enter to continue and enter flight details. You must enter the
correct date; flight number and origin and press enter to continue. All assistance SSR’S (special
service requests) will be displayed on the second page.
To check how many PRM’S on a flight in GoNow you must search for the flight in departure
mode and press F3 to see the overview. PRM’S are on row 19, click on this list and all
assistance SSR’S will be displayed.

• Do not hesitate to be proactive and contact the assistance company if the PRM’S have not
arrived at the gate
In some instances, PRM’S are not at the gate when boarding commences. In this case gate
agents must contact the assistance company to ensure PRM’S are on route to the gate.
By being proactive and calling the assistance company as early as possible it eliminates PRM’S
arriving late and potentially delaying an aircraft or missing their flight.

• Ensure that the dispatcher is made aware once PRM has been boarded.
Once the passengers boarding card has been scanned and they pass through the gate you
must inform the dispatcher, so he is aware that they are on-board.

• Be aware of PRM’S passing through the gate with the assistance company and ensure their
boarding passes have been scanned
In some cases, when the assistance company arrive to the gate they may assume the PRM’S
boarding card has already been scanned and may pass through the gate without showing the
gate agents the boarding passes. Be vigilant of this and always ensure the boarding passes
have been scanned as this can cause boarding discrepancies and result in the aircraft being
delayed.

Waiver Letters
A medical equipment baggage waiver letter is required to carry any medical equipment on board a
Ryanair flight.
Passenger must show baggage waiver letter to gate staff during boarding, and again this must be
shown to cabin crew when boarding the aircraft. Only Items listed in the waiver letter will be
accepted for carriage free of charge.

Face Masks
Due to COVID-19 outbreaks, it is mandatory that passengers wear face masks in the airport and on
board the aircraft for the duration of their flight.
Passengers who refuse to wear a face mask must be refused travel.
In some cases, passengers may be exempt from wearing face masks.
Children under 12 do not need to wear face masks.
If you suffer from a medical condition that prevents you from wearing a face mask you are exempted
from the face mask obligation on provision of a medical certificate attesting your condition.
Passengers who have a medical cert which exempts them from wearing the face mask must show
this to boarding staff and cabin crew.

©Ryanair Group Training Department 8 17/02/2022

Sample Boarding Pass

2. DOCUMENT CHECK
• Ensure the customer’s document is valid for
travel and matches the boarding pass.
• Check the boarding pass carefully to avoid
mistakes such as misrouting the passenger.
• If passengers are self-scanning their boarding
passes, agents must be extra vigilant when
inspecting boarding cards to ensure the
destination and flight number is correct.
• Where required ask the passenger to remove
any form of face covering in order to verify
their identity.

LOST BOARDING CARDS

If the passenger arrives to the gate without a boarding pass, on completion of the below checks,
permit the passenger to travel. Every effort should be made to reissue the customer with a boarding
pass. If this is not possible, good communication between the gate staff, dispatcher and crew is
essential to ensure the customer is not refused on board.

Navitaire/DCS Automated boarding

• Check the customer is listed on the flight manifest and has the required travel documents.
• If possible re-issue a boarding card including the customers seat number.

©Ryanair Group Training Department 9 17/02/2022

 • If the above is not possible then the customer must be escorted to the aircraft or
information communicated to the crew as stated above.

Manual Boarding
• Check the flight manifest to establish the passengers sequence number, seat number and
verify the passenger has the required travel documents.
• If there is no manifest available at the gate the agent should contact check in for this
information.
• When the sequence number has been confirmed it should be crossed off on the security
cross check and noted that this customer lost their boarding card. Note the boarding card
count will be down one card at the end of boarding.
• If possible re-issue a boarding card otherwise escort the customer to the aircraft or
communicate information to the crew as stated above.

Sample boarding passes

Sample boarding passes showing where gate agents need to check to ensure passengers are at the
correct flight. On the left there is a non-priority boarding pass and on the right a Priority boarding
pass. Please ensure you check the route, date and flight number.

©Ryanair Group Training Department 10 17/02/2022

 Boarding/ Boarding Errors

Please note you must check the passengers mobile phone screen before asking
them to scan it to ensure it is correct.

What are you looking for when boarding a flight?

• The name on the passport matches the boarding pass.

• The passenger is at the correct flight (route and flight number)

1. If a passenger is in the wrong queue and you scan their boarding pass you may be alerted by an error
tone and a message on the screen which will say ‘invalid flight number’. Advise the passenger to
make their way to the nearest airport screen to check for the correct flight and gate or call a
colleague to assist them.
Please note, do not wait for an error tone/message. Always check the passengers paper/mobile
boarding pass first.

2. When you scan a boarding pass and you may be alerted by an error tone you must check the screen
to see the error message. If it says ‘Passenger already boarded’ you must check how many
passengers are in the reservation and that a member of the group did not scan the wrong boarding
pass in error. This is why it is vital that you check the boarding pass matches the passport when
boarding.

3. If you scan a passengers boarding pass who has not been assigned a seat you may be alerted by an
error tone or error message, which will read ‘The passenger has no seat assigned would you like to
board anyway? (Skyport) In this case you must check the seat map and assign the passenger a seat if
available and then scan the boarding pass again. When using the GoNow check in system, if you scan
a passenger without an assigned seat it will turn orange and warn you that the passenger must be
assigned a seat before continuing. At this point, you can add a seat by using the seat management
section to view available seating.

4. If the passenger is on standby and there is no seat available and they are going to sit in a jump seat
you must manually board the passenger by entering their sequence number. In the Go Now system,
you can always check the “All checked in without a seat” list before boarding to assign available
seats.

5. In certain cases, passengers may be removed from a flight and if you scan the boarding pass you may
be alerted by an error tone or error message, it will read ‘sequence not found’ on the screen. You
must not let the passenger pass through the gate and ring the ticket desk or call your supervisor for
further assistance.

Please note if you are alerted by the error tone you must always read the message on the screen and
never let the passenger pass through the gate without being boarded correctly on the system.
Always cross check with a colleague if unsure.

©Ryanair Group Training Department 11 17/02/2022

Document check procedures
• Ensure Passport is valid and in date
• Nationality matches on boarding card & passport
• The name on the screen matches the passport
• The picture matches person in front of you
• Remember:
• Visa checks are no longer carried out at the gate.
• All passengers who require a visa check now receive their boarding pass and have their visa
checked at the check in.

Misboarded Passengers

How can a passenger be misboarded/misrouted?

• Agents may be distracted and not notice passengers passing through the gate without
scanning their boarding pass.
Passengers sometimes do not realise they must scan their boarding pass and will follow the
crowd while boarding. It is up to the gate agent to be aware of all passengers in the queue and
ensure their boarding pass has been scanned.
• When agents are required to take a payment at the gate they may become distracted and
forget to scan the passengers boarding pass.
In some cases, passengers may become argumentative when being charged for baggage at the
gate, this can be distracting for the gate agent as you are eager to finalize the transaction
quickly and may result in forgetting to scan the boarding pass.
• Manually boarding passengers and not checking the flight information or entering the wrong
sequence number.
Each passenger is given a sequence number when they check in for a flight if you are boarding
by sequence it is extremely important that the flight information is correct for the flight you
are boarding as the same sequence numbers are used for each flight. You should only board
by sequence if the scanner does not work or the boarding pass is unreadable.

Boarding Discrepancies
• If a passenger boards an aircraft without being scanned this results in the LID being incorrect.
• If a passenger appears to have not been boarded and they have a bag checked in, they will be
removed from the flight and their bag will be offloaded in error.
In this case the passenger will arrive at their destination without their bag and a report must
be made in arrival station and passenger must be compensated for everyday they are without
their bag.
• A passenger may arrive at the wrong destination entirely if boarding discrepancies go
unnoticed.
• If the gate agent does not Refresh the GoNow system before removing any no-shows with Ctrl
+ Alt +R the agent is at risk of removing passengers that have in fact been boarded but the
information has not been updated on the system. This can also result in short shipped bags.
Please ensure you refresh before you begin scanning boarding cards, once in the middle of
boarding and when boarding is complete before you remove the no-shows.

©Ryanair Group Training Department 12 17/02/2022

Checks to avoid offloading bags in error
• Ensure all agents refresh in GoNow (CTRL+ALT+R), before and passengers and their bags are
offloaded.
• Check if the missing passenger has a PBAG or GBAG on their reservation, maybe the
boarding card wasn’t scanned.
• Check if the missing passenger is part of a group and the other passengers are boarded. In
GoNow this can be done in F6 Seat Management. Filter list to “Not Boarded Bags Checked”
and click the link to display all passengers on the PNR e.g. 1/3
• Check if the passenger has a duplicate reservation for the flight. They may have scanned one
boarding pass at the bag drop and the one from the other reservation at the gate.

Misrouted passengers

Misrouting passengers can be easily prevented if all gate agents follow the procedures of boarding
correctly
This can be prevented by:
• Ensuring the pre-queue is started early or on time.
• Staff members are checking boarding passes correctly.
• Remember to check all mobile boarding passes before scanning.

Outcomes

If a passenger is misboarded/misrouted:

• The passenger must be put on the next available flight.

• In the rare event a passenger is misrouted we will offer at no additional cost flights either to
passenger’s point of origin (on the available flight) or to original destination (where possible)
• They must receive overnight accommodation if required and ground transportation
• All costs will be recovered from the fault station.
• Upon Receiving approval from GOPS they may authorise refreshment Vouchers
• Ryanair must also manage the publicity on the situation (Social Media/ Press)

©Ryanair Group Training Department 13 17/02/2022

Manual Boarding
Why Manually board?

• Scanners not working

• Boarding pass unreadable
• Passenger misplaces their boarding pass at the gate
• Passengers phone battery runs out

You may need to manually board a passenger in the system if the boarding pass is unreadable and
will not scan. In this case you must ensure you enter the correct sequence number.

Manually boarding can cause boarding errors if you enter the wrong sequence number. It is vital you
check the name on the screen matches the name on their passport. If you do not check this, it can
result in a passenger being boarded onto the wrong aircraft causing long delays or the passenger
flying to wrong destination.

• Check- Correct Flight number, date and route.

• Passenger has correct documents/ Visa Check.
• Passenger is successfully boarded by sequence number.

Passenger Discrepancies
• In the unlikely event of a discrepancy between gate figures and actual passengers on board,
agents must establish the error promptly.
• If there are passenger discrepancies (plus or minus), they must be resolved prior to closing the
aircraft door.
• Gate agents must:
Display no shows in the system and check if a member of a group has not been boarded in
error. (If there is four out of five passengers boarded in a group this may be a mistake and will
need to be crossed checked by cabin crew.
Liaise with the dispatcher and cabin crew to establish if the passenger is on board or not
before a full headcount must be carried out.

©Ryanair Group Training Department 14 17/02/2022

3. BAG CHECK
Priority

Non-Priority

All passengers

©Ryanair Group Training Department 15 17/02/2022

Charging for Bags
• Agents should check the queue and seated areas at -50 once all passengers have assembled
at the gate. Bags should be visually checked and bags (standard or small) which appear to be
oversized should be referred to the bag sizer for testing.
• All passengers may carry 1 bag of airport/duty free shopping in addition to their allowance.
• Passengers will carry a waiver letter for any medical items authorised to be carried in addition
to their cabin bag allowance. Any issues contact Newskies helpdesk or GOP’s.
• It is essential that bags that exceed the dimensions are identified during the pre- Q as well as
cabin size bags that are being carried by non-priority passengers. If the agent is not proactive
during this process, they may find themselves under pressure during boarding trying to quickly
take payments for bags and potentially delaying the aircraft.

Check, Scan, Charge

• Always check and scan the passengers boarding card first, then proceed with the payment to
avoid the mistake of forgetting to scan.
• This will also reduce the chance of late gate closure due to passengers paying for bags.

GoNow Airports
• When the agents arrive at the gate at -50, they should begin the pre Q process immediately.
• Identify any bags that appear too big and ask the passenger to politely fit the bag in the sizer.
• If the bag does not fit, they must pay the PBAG fee or GBAG fee.
• Firstly, advise passengers that we now accept payments for these fees via the Ryanair app and
they can pay with their card online and refresh their boarding card which will then display the
SSR added. The agent can then tag the bag with a manual bag tag and check the bag into the
hold. Please ensure passengers remove any dangerous goods before checking it into the hold.
• If the passenger does not have the Ryanair app, the agent can take a payment via GoNow in
check in mode. Once the payment has been approved the agent can then tag the passengers
bag and check it into the hold reminding passengers to remove any dangerous goods.
• Please be aware that agents are no longer permitted to accept cash.
• If GoNow is connected to a printer a receipt will print automatically, if not a manual receipt
can be issued on request.

Skyport/ Local DCS Airports

• When the agents arrive at the gate at -50, they should begin the pre Q process immediately.
• Identify any bags that appear too big and ask the passenger to politely fit the bag in the sizer.
• If the bag does not fit, they must pay the PBAG fee or GBAG fee.
• Firstly, advise passengers that we now accept payments for these fees via the Ryanair app and
they can pay with their card online and refresh their boarding card which will then display the
SSR added. The agent can then tag the bag with a manual bag tag and check the bag into the
hold. Please ensure passengers remove any dangerous goods before checking it into the hold.
• If the passenger does not have the Ryanair app the agent can take a payment via the VPOS
machine. Please choose the correct flight and correct seat number before taking a payment.
• Once the payment has gone through successfully the agent can tag the passengers bag with a
manual bag tag and check it into the hold. Please remind passengers to remove any dangerous
goods from their luggage before checking it in.
• Passengers can find their receipts through the ‘Inflight Receipts’ link on the Ryanair website.
• Agents are not permitted to accept cash.

©Ryanair Group Training Department 16 17/02/2022

Different Scenarios Gate Agents May Experience

• Passenger has no card and wants to pay by cash.

Under no circumstances is the gate agent permitted to accept cash. In this case the agent can
advise the passenger they can call a family member or friend and we will take a card payment
over the phone. Agent must speak directly with the cardholder on the phone, under no
circumstances are the agents permitted to write down the card details.
Alternatively, agents can advise passengers to pay via the Ryanair app as they may have a card
saved to their account.

• Passenger has no cash or card and nobody to call and assist.

If the passenger is unable to pay by card and has nobody to call for assistance, unfortunately
we must advise the passenger that we can not accept the bag and they must leave it behind.
The bag must be handed over to airport police, not the lost and found department.

• Passengers need to pay for a bag during boarding.

For airports using GoNow, agents can not take for payments and continue boarding at the
same time on the one computer. The Agent would have to discontinue boarding and enter
check in mode which would take up valuable boarding time as well as frustrate passengers
waiting to board standing in the queue.
Please scan the passengers boarding card and to avoid any delays politely ask the passenger
to stand to one side and you will assist them as soon as possible.
Once all passengers have been boarded, or there is a gap during boarding, the agent can then
enter check in mode to take the payment and check in the bag.
Please ensure the gate is closed and all payments are taken before -15.
This scenario can be avoided if agents are proactive and ensure all payments are taken during
the pre-Q.

**Please ensure gate agents advise the dispatcher handling the flight of any extra bags
checked into the hold at the gate to be added to the LID for weight and balance**

**If the passenger arrives at the gate towards gate closure time and needs to make a payment
for their luggage please ensure you scan their boarding card first before entering check in
mode to take a payment. This will ensure all pax are boarded before -15 and will minimize the
risk of allowing the passenger on board while forgetting to scan their boarding card causing a
boarding discrepancy**

©Ryanair Group Training Department 17 17/02/2022

FOLDABLE BUGGIES AND TRUNKI’S

FOLDABLE BUGGY
If a passenger arrives to the boarding gate with a foldable Buggy which they wish to bring on board it
will be considered a part of their cabin baggage Bag allowance and correct bag policy needs to be
followed. If the foldable buggy is within cabin bag dimensions and fits into the Ryanair sizer it is
possible to bring it on board as a part of passenger’s cabin bag allowance.

PRIORITY BOARDING

Passenger arrives at the gate with the following –

• 1 foldable buggy within cabin bag dimensions and 1 small bag – All OK

• 1 foldable buggy within cabin bag dimensions, 1 cabin bag within cabin bag dimensions
and 1 small bag – if they wish to bring foldable buggy on board, the cabin bag must be
charged as PBAG and placed into the hold of the aircraft. Otherwise the foldable buggy
will be tagged and placed in the hold free of charge.

NON PRIORITY

If a passenger arrives to the boarding gate with non-priority boarding pass the foldable buggy must
be placed into the hold of the aircraft (manual bag tag) free of charge.

Non-priority passengers are not entitled to bring foldable buggy on board as it exceeds non-priority
baggage allowance.

Ryanair: 40cm x 20cm x 25cm

Yoyo: 52 x 44 x 18 cm

©Ryanair Group Training Department 18 17/02/2022

TRUNKI
Children’s cabin bags such as Trunki’s are part of the passenger’s bag allowance and need to fit
within Ryanair’s baggage dimensions.
As seen from dimensions below, Trunki’s exceed the small bag allowance and are considered a
standard cabin bag.

PRIORITY BOARDING

• 1 Trunki within cabin bag dimensions and 1 small bag – All ok

NON PRIORITY

• 1 Trunki – must be tagged and placed into the hold of the aircraft and PBAG fee charged.

Ryanair: 40cm x 20cm x 25cm

Trunkie: 46cm x 21cm x 31cm

TRUNKIES ARE NOT PART OF INFANT/CHILD ALLOWANCE AND ARE NOT TO BE ACCEPTED FREE OF
CHARGE!!

©Ryanair Group Training Department 19 17/02/2022

GATE BAG SERVICE
Sometimes passengers arrive at the boarding gate with additional baggage they haven’t paid for. We
must charge these passengers for any additional baggage which will be placed in the aircraft hold.

• Ryanair is a cash less operation. All card payments are processed through GoNow, a VPOS
device or via the Ryanair App. Wherever possible encourage the passenger to self-serve
using the App.
• Always check and scan the passengers boarding card first, then proceed with the payment to
avoid the mistake of forgetting to scan.

• Manual receipts should only be issued where local law requires or on request from the
passenger. Payments via VPOS or the App will provide receipts. PBAG’S and GBAG’S must be
processed before the gate closure time (STD-15).
• At gate closure time, Extra/oversize bags which have not been paid for are not permitted to
travel.
• One tag type used for all bags tagged at the gate.
• Complete sequence no. and ensure its legible.
Include flight number and date where possible.
• Attach tag securely to the bag
• Advise passenger to remove any important or
valuable items or spare lithium batteries (dangerous
goods).
• Advise passenger where to leave the bag.
• Final count of bags provided to dispatcher.
• Advise passenger to collect bag from the baggage
belt.

See below issue 4 of our “When to, Why to, How to?” guide outlining all you need to know about
cabin bags at the gate. This document can be downloaded from www.groundops.com

©Ryanair Group Training Department 20 17/02/2022

©Ryanair Group Training Department 21 17/02/2022
Dangerous Goods
Dangerous goods are articles or substances which are capable of posing a risk
to health, safety, property and environment
Passengers and crew may carry items in their baggage which can be considered dangerous goods.
Agents shall be aware of commonly carried items and question passengers where there is suspicion
of their carriage e.g. camping equipment. Should undeclared miss-declared or leaking dangerous
goods be discovered, this must be reported to the operator and supervisor, state of authority, and
all items not be permitted to travel.

These items are considered dangerous to be carried in the hold of an aircraft and passengers must be
reminded to remove any dangerous goods from their baggage as well as valuable items, medical
supplies and important documents.

©Ryanair Group Training Department 22 17/02/2022

STEP 4 – PRE-BOARD
To ensure that flights depart on time;
• Once the inbound aircraft has arrived on stand*, commence boarding into a secure holding
area;
• Then, marshal passengers to the bottom of the steps, ready to board.
* For aircraft already parked on stand (1st wave or early arrival), pre-board once crew arrive at the
aircraft.
* Where available and gate lounges are used, pre-boarding is permitted at STD/ETD-50 during a
turnaround (not first wave).
* Where buses are required to take passengers to the aircraft, pre-boarding is permitted at
STD/ETD- 40 or as required. Bus to reach aircraft at -30 STD. Ensure first bus is boarded with priority
passengers. Once full start boarding second bus if available, do not wait for first bus to leave or
return. Bus should depart once full.
• Ensure customers are clearly told to board the aircraft by the front / rear steps (except air
bridge gates). Direct customers to place ALL small bags under the seats on-board and wish
customers a pleasant flight.

BOARDING WITHOUT FLIGHT CREW

Boarding of passengers is normally completed once all crew are present on-board. In rare situations
caused by operational disruption, flight delays, aircraft change or other unexpected circumstances
Flight Crew may not be available during boarding. Cabin Crew are permitted to board the aircraft
without Flight Crew, providing additional restrictions are applied.

• Flight crew estimated arrival time is expected to be under 20 minutes

• Fuelling is not taking place
• Cabin crew have established the outside air temperature to be 25 degrees or less
• The APU is off
• Ground power is connected and running
• Mobile steps must remain in place until at least one flight crew arrives

Good communication between the gate agents and the Designated GDH is vital during these
procedures. You will be advised if this procedure will happen at your airport.

©Ryanair Group Training Department 23 17/02/2022

STD -15: Once all passengers have boarded the gate can be closed.
Ensure all passengers boarding passes are scanned before -15 and the gate is closed. This will ensure
an on-time departure and allows time for passengers / bags to be offloaded if necessary.

• Identify in the boarding system any missing passengers and establish if they have bags
checked in.
• Advise dispatcher of tag numbers of any bags that need to be offloaded.
• Offload any missing checked in passengers by unchecking them in the system. If using your
local DCS ensure to update both systems. Communicate final boarded passengers and bag
figures to the ramp agent using the Zones Totals report.

Zone Report:

• Agents must pass the correct Zone totals to the dispatcher to ensure the LID is completed
accurately to ensure correct weight and balance of the aircraft.
• To access the Zone Report in GoNow press Ctrl + U or go to reports Ctrl + G, choose Zone
Report and enter flight details. If using reports, you will also need to choose the Baggage
report to get the checked bag total.
• The Zone Report will be different depending on the type of aircraft being operated.
• Please see below examples of different Zone reports depending on the aircraft type.

Boeing 737-800 (Capacity 189 Passengers)

• Zone counts for this aircraft are as follows.

• Zone 1 (FWD) Rows 1-5
• Zone 2 (MID) Rows 6-28
• Zone 3 (AFT) Rows 29-33
• Zone UK -Only passengers with no seats allocated will be visible here. Only Standby
Passengers sitting in Jump-seats will remain in this Zone when the flight is closed.
• Below screenshot shows the counts for each zone including how many Adults, Children and
Infants.
• Total figures should be passed including how many adults, children and infants that are in
each zone.
• E.G Zone 1 – 21 + 0 Child, Total 20, Zone 2 - 118 + 4 child, Total 122, Zone 3 -28 + 1 Child,
Total 29.
• Total 167 Adults + 5 Child, Total on board 172.
• Total bags checked – 41

©Ryanair Group Training Department 24 17/02/2022

 • Below is an image of the Boeing 737-800 aircraft.

The winglets
only point up

Boeing 737-8200 (Capacity 197 passengers)

• Zone counts for this aircraft are as follows.

• Zone 1 (FWD) Rows 1-6
• Zone 2 (MID) Rows 7-29
• Zone 3 (AFT) Rows 30-35
• Zone UK -Only passengers with no seats allocated will be visible here. Only Standby
Passengers sitting in Jump-seats will remain in this Zone when the flight is closed.
• Below screenshot shows the counts for each zone including how many Adults, Children and
Infants.
• Total figures should be passed including how many adults, children and infants are in each
zone.
• E.G Zone 1 – 13 + 0 Child, Total 13, Zone 2 - 66 + 2 child, Total 68, Zone 3 -14 + 1 Infant, Total
14.
• Total 93 Adults +26 Child, Total on board 95 + 1 infant.
• Total bags checked – 7

©Ryanair Group Training Department 25 17/02/2022

 • Below are images of the Boeing 737-8200.

On some A/C
8200 written
under the nose

The winglets
point up and
down

Extra
Emergency Exit

• In the event of an aircraft change and the incorrect zone report is displaying in the GoNow
system there are visual checks gate agents can observe before passing the zone totals to
ensure they are for the correct aircraft type.
• The 737-8200 has 8200 written underneath the nose of the aircraft.
• The Winglets are different.
• There is an extra emergency exit door between the over wing exits and the rear door.

©Ryanair Group Training Department 26 17/02/2022

Airbus A320 (Capacity 180 passengers)

• Zone counts for this aircraft are as follows.

• Zone 1 (A) Rows 1-10
• Zone 2 (B) Rows 11-20
• Zone 3 (C Rows 21-30
• Zone UK -Only passengers with no seats allocated will be visible here. Only Standby
Passengers sitting in Jump-seats will remain in this Zone when the flight is closed.
• Below screenshot shows the counts for each zone including how many Adults, Children and
Infants.
• Total figures should be passed including information of total adults, children and infants in
each zone
• E.G Zone 1 – 42 + 0 Child, Total 42, Zone 2 - 40 + 0 child , Total 40, Zone 3 -43 + 1 Child, Total
44.
• Total 125 Adults + 1 Child, Total on board 126.
• Total bags checked – 27

• Below is an image of the Lauda Airbus A320.

©Ryanair Group Training Department 27 17/02/2022

Boeing 737-700 (Capacity 148 passengers)

• Zone counts for this aircraft are as follows.

• Zone 1 (FWD) Rows 1-4
• Zone 2 (MID) Rows 5-21
• Zone 3 (AFT) Rows 22-25
• Zone UK -Only passengers with no seats allocated will be visible here. Only Standby
Passengers sitting in Jump-seats will remain in this Zone when the flight is closed.

A/C reg. EI-SEV

• Close the flight and the gate.

CHECKS TO AVOID OFFLOADING BAGS IN ERROR

• Ensure all agents refresh in GoNow (CTRL+ALT+R), before and passengers and their bags are
offloaded.
• Check if the missing passenger has a PBAG or GBAG on their reservation, maybe the
boarding card wasn’t scanned.
• Check if the missing passenger is part of a group and the other passengers are boarded. In
GoNow this can be done in F6 Seat Management. Filter list to “Not Boarded Bags Checked”
and click the link to display all passengers on the PNR e.g. 1/3
• Check if the passenger has a duplicate reservation for the flight. They may have scanned one
boarding pass at the bag drop and the one from the other reservation at the gate.

©Ryanair Group Training Department 28 17/02/2022

STD -15 NON COMPLIANCE
Most common reasons for non-compliance of on time gate closure–

• Bag payments (always scan the boarding pass before taking the payment).
• Card payment declines.
• Passenger arrives last minute and has to pay for a bag.
• Disruptive passengers.
• Large families or groups with multiple boarding passes.
• Waiting for passengers to arrive to the gate. Ryanair policy is we do not wait for passengers
to arrive.
Carrying out the Pre Q can eliminate the majority of the above reasons for late gate closure.

Please note – Gate staff should not provide ‘booked’ figures to ramp staff as this causes LID* errors.
Only boarded numbers should be provided.

*A LID for flight purposes is a Load Information Document. It is completed by a ramp staff member
using bag and passenger information for the flight. This information is provided to flight crew and
imputed into iPads for flight performance requirements.

The TOB (total on board) should reflect the total number of passengers on-board including any
additional seats. Any passenger that may require additional space (e.g. EXTRA SEAT) for comfort due
to their physical size or due to an injury, e.g. broken leg.

The THOB (Total heads on board) section of the LID should not include the extra seats (i.e. comfort
seats or musical instruments) this section is exclusively to record the total number of persons
onboard, including all passengers and crew and infants.

HEADCOUNT ANOMALY GUIDANCE

Follow the below steps in cases where there is a difference in boarding figures vs. actual TOB on the
aircraft. This will help staff to effectively manage a headcount if required and minimise delays.

Stage 1 (between -10 and STD)

• Where 2 scanners are being used, ensure that both agents have updated their screens.
• No show passengers are removed in the system and standbys or crew members accounted
for correctly.
• Check all infant and PRM booking to ensure no anomalies.
• Cross check bag payment details with no shows, maybe boarding card wasn’t scanned.
• Request blank bingo sheets for potential to cross check sequence numbers.

Stage 2 (between STD and +10)

• Begin manual check on board for all pax. If possible, 2 ground staff complete this. One from
row 1-16 and other 17 – 33 or whichever is agreed locally.
Note: When errors are identified, advise the dispatcher of the correct TOB and zone counts ASAP to
allow aircraft to depart before updating the manifest. The agents should ensure the flight closure is
factual and representative of the TOB before closing the flight.

Stage 3 (if required)

• Assist with offloading of all pax and prepare to re-board the flight.

©Ryanair Group Training Department 29 17/02/2022

NON STANDARD GROUPS
Unusual groups, excessive weights, or anything outside the standard need to be communicated to
the team leader (i.e. sports teams with higher passenger weights).
The Ryanair Loading Schedule was developed on the assumption of an average passenger weight
plus carry-on bag of 84kg and an average hold bag weight of 13kgs.
If it is noted that a significant number of passengers that are travelling, whose weights exceed the
average standard weights, then the handling agent should advise the Captain as to the numbers of
these persons travelling.

STANDBY PASSENGERS
• At the gate when check in has closed (-40 mins), where available, release the seats of any
passengers not checked in and allocate them to stand by passengers.
• Always allocate seats to revenue passengers before staff.
• All standbys sitting in the cabin must have a seat allocated in the boarding system.
• Authorisation should be sought from the Captain for Jump seats if there are not enough
seats in the cabin.
• All staff require their ID to jump seat in the cockpit. This can be an airport ID or Head Office
ID
• Non-staff members using a staff ticket travelling on their own can jump seat, but they can
only sit in the rear jump seats.

Remember, always refer to the order of priority:

1. Revenue standby passengers
2. Positioning Crew (Pilots, Cabin Crew or Engineers) with a duty travel booking made by
Ryanair operations.
3. Pilots travelling to their rostered home base on Jump seats in Uniform to carry out flying
duties (i.e. on Supernumerary status)
4. Duty Travel.
Privilege travel (White tickets/Supernumerary), with seats allocated in the following order:
5. Ryanair staff by date of entry with any accompanying Passengers on the staff member’s
tickets
6. Contract staff (Crewlink, Workforce International, Excel) by date of entry.
7. Pilots travelling from their rostered home base on Jump seats in Uniform (i.e. on
Supernumerary status).
8. Family / friends of Ryanair staff travelling on white tickets without the staff member by
the staff member’s date of entry.

Passenger Suitability for Travel

Be observant of passenger behaviour prior to and during boarding. If there are any concerns
regarding passenger body language or behaviour always notify a supervisor who will take the next
necessary steps. Drunk, ill or disruptive passengers may be refused travel. Use Ryanair Disruptive
passenger signage to assist with the refusal of unruly passengers.

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Ground staff are responsible for boarding only acceptable passengers through the gate. This is not
up to the crew. Unruly, threatening passengers must be refused travel. Ryanair will not compromise
on the safety of the aircraft, flight, ground crew, or passengers.

Reasons for Refusal

Passengers should always be accommodated unless:

• The person is critically ill and could die during flight or are unable to sit in a seat;
• The passenger doesn’t comply with Ryanair’s conditions of carriage;
• The passenger has a communicable disease;
• The Person requires individual care during the flight and is not accompanied by another
passenger;
• The person, because of his/her medical condition, could pose a direct threat to the health and
safety of other passengers, their property, the crew or the aircraft;
• There is any lack of required information regarding passenger condition.

Resolution of Difficult Situations

Front line staff members will inevitably have difficult encounters with some passengers. Difficult
situations with passengers are a fact of life in any service industry. There are many reasons behind
difficult passenger encounters e.g. stress of travel, nervous passengers, fear of flying, influence of
alcohol/ medication, flight disruptions, or disagreement with airline policies.
The resolution of a difficult situation at an early stage is preferred; the following model should be
used to resolve the situation.

©Ryanair Group Training Department 31 17/02/2022

Policy
Inform – Friendly Manner;

Inform the passenger of your request in a friendly manner and give the passenger the time to absorb
the information – this should resolve the situation

Warn – Polite Manner;

If the passenger does not comply with the request, repeat the request politely, and again give the
passenger time to absorb the information.

Action – Calm Manner

This is an extreme course of action and should never be taken lightly. If despite all efforts the
passenger refuses to comply with your request, refusal of carriage might be the only course of
action. Even in this situation the staff member needs to remain calm, polite and professional.

As trained front line professionals, staff are expected to ensure that difficult encounters are
managed in such a way as to prevent any escalation.

Procedure
Despite the best efforts of the staff potential difficult situations with some passengers may still arise.
A passenger may behave out of character due to many factors and staff must manage the situation
effectively.

When dealing with a difficult situation with a passenger it is important to make the first engagement
as friendly as possible. A curt or bossy manner during the first encounter can be very destructive and
can force a passenger into further and more serious actions. If suspicions are proven to be correct, it
is important to share your concerns with colleagues so that they can support you in the event of an
escalation of the situation. Every attempt must be made to understand the passenger’s
problem/situation and to solve it, thereby reducing the stress that the passenger is under.

If a difficult situation arises you should bear in mind the following points:

• Most situations can be easily dealt with if you remain calm and professional and give
information;
• Try to calm the situation by giving as much information as possible;
• Stay calm and speak clearly and do not raise your voice;
• Do not tell the passenger to calm down;
• Do not enter into an argument;
• Bend down to the level of the passenger if they are seated, only if you feel it’s safe to do so;
• Maintain open body language

Safety First
The passenger must not be permitted to board the aircraft and ground staff must prevent any delays
as a result of a disruption. Close the gate and then follow up as necessary.

Ryanair’s priority is always the safety the passengers, crew and aircraft.

©Ryanair Group Training Department 32 17/02/2022

Capacity Disruptions
• Identify any Blue ticket or Z confirmed DUTY travel that did not go to Check-in and advise
them of the situation and that they will be required to wait until boarding has finished and
may need to occupy a jump seat if necessary.
• If no volunteers were identified at check-in seek potential volunteers during the Pre-Q. Advise
options and benefits of volunteering – Compensation, HOTAC, transport, next flight or refund.
Provide volunteer with a copy of EU 261 Article 14.2 Notice of Passenger Rights.
Preferably it should be a passenger with no checked in bags but do not disregard passengers
who volunteer with checked in bags. If a passenger who is part of a group volunteers, ensure
they are happy to be separated from the other passengers in their group.
• If there are no volunteers, then the airport checked in passengers/Airport Seat passengers
(excluding PRM’s or families with children) should be advised that they will be boarded last. If
capacity has been reached by the end of boarding, then these passengers would be
involuntarily offloaded and provided with a copy of EU 261 Article 14.2 Notice of Passenger
Rights.
• If there are no volunteers and the airport checked in passengers/Airport Seat passengers are
PRM’s or families with children, they should be boarded last and be given the seat numbers of
the last passengers to present to the gate for boarding. The last passengers would be
involuntarily offloaded and provided with a copy of EU 261 Article 14.2 Notice of Passenger
Rights.
• If none of the above applies you must involuntarily offload the last passengers to board
ensuring it is not a family or PRM and provide them with a copy of EU 261 Article 14.2 Notice
of Passenger Rights. Monitor the total number boarded and when almost at capacity stop
boarding and look at the remaining passengers. If last passengers in the queue are PRM or
families, then you must approach the passengers in front of them and advise them of the
situation. It is important not to offload more passengers than required.

Please do not hesitate to contact Ground Operations Control or the New Skies Helpdesk if you
require further guidance.

MANUAL CHECK IN AND BOARDING

Sometimes technology fails, and we have to adapt quickly, and revert to manual procedures.
Therefore it is vital that airports are aware of and practice manual procedures, so they are prepared
in the event of a system outage. Manual procedures should be practiced once a week for bases and
once a month for airports.

For Manual Check in and Boarding procedures we have the following “When to, Why to, How to?”
guides to assist the operation which can be downloaded from www.groundops.com

• Issue 6 Manual Check in and Boarding

• Issue 9 Manual Check in and Boarding during System Outage

©Ryanair Group Training Department 33 17/02/2022

To Summarise
• The steps involved to successfully board an aircraft.

• What is involved in and the importance of the Pre-Queue.

• The procedure of checking a document.

• Gate bag checks and Dangerous Goods.

• Payments at the gate.

• How to Identify and prevent boarding errors.

• Importance of refusing unacceptable passengers at the gate.

• Resolution of difficult situations at the gate.

©Ryanair Group Training Department 34 17/02/2022