- Mr Plane Guy
- 7 hours ago
- 6 min read
easyJet Makes BIG Airport Check-In Change, Making Early Flights Plane Easier
By Mr Plane Guy, aviation insider, airport queue avoider and occasional 4am alarm survivor.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. If you click and buy, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. It helps keep Mr Plane Guy airborne.
If you’ve ever dragged yourself to the airport at 4:30am for a budget airline flight, you’ll know the feeling. Half awake. Queue for bag drop. Coffee that costs more than the flight.
Now easyJet is trying to make things a little plane easier.
The airline has expanded its Twilight Bag Drop service across eight UK airports, allowing passengers on early morning flights to drop their luggage the night before travelling.
Instead of joining the sunrise suitcase queue, passengers can now check in online, drop their bags the evening before, and head straight through security the next morning.
And if you regularly fly early with easyJet, it could make a surprisingly big difference.
What Is easyJet’s Twilight Bag Drop?
The service is called Twilight Bag Drop, and it’s designed specifically for passengers flying on early morning departures.
Rather than arriving hours before your flight to check in luggage, you can:
1️⃣ Check in online
2️⃣ Drop your hold luggage at the airport the evening before
3️⃣ Arrive the next morning and go straight through security
No bag drop queue. No airport chaos before sunrise.
For anyone who has experienced the 5am departures hall rush, it’s a welcome change.
The 8 UK Airports Where easyJet Offers Twilight Bag Drop
The service is now available at eight UK airports.
Airport | Eligible Flights | Bag Drop Time |
London Gatwick | Flights before 08:30 | 20:00 – 22:00 |
London Luton | Flights before 09:00 | 18:00 – 21:00 |
Bristol | Flights before 08:30 | 18:00 – 21:00 |
Manchester | Flights before 08:30 | 18:00 – 21:00 |
Edinburgh | Flights before 12:00 | 16:00 – 20:00 |
Glasgow | Flights before 12:00 | 16:00 – 21:00 |
Belfast | Flights before 08:00 | 20:00 – 21:00 |
Birmingham | Flights before 09:00 | 16:00 – 20:00 |
The newest airport to join the list is Birmingham, meaning more travellers can now avoid the early-morning bag drop queues.
Why This Could Make Early Flights Much Easier
Early flights are popular for a reason, they’re often the cheapest fares.
But they usually come with a few challenges:
• long bag drop queues
• packed security lines
• painfully early alarms
Dropping your luggage the night before means you can simply arrive at the airport and head straight through security.
For families, ski trips or travellers with large suitcases, the difference can be huge.
If you're using Twilight Bag Drop, staying at an airport hotel the night before can make early flights much easier.
🅿️ Mr Plane Guy Tip: Skip the 4am Parking Panic
If you're already dropping your luggage the night before with Twilight Bag Drop, you might as well sort your parking too.
Pre-booking airport parking usually saves money and avoids the dreaded “full car park” moment at 4am.
The One Thing You Still Have to Do
Even with Twilight Bag Drop, there’s one important rule. Passengers must check in online first.
You can do this through:
• the easyJet website
• the easyJet mobile app
Once checked in, you’ll receive your boarding pass and can drop luggage during the Twilight Bag Drop window.
Don’t Forget easyJet’s Cabin Bag Rules
Before heading to the airport, it’s also worth remembering that easyJet has some of the strictest cabin baggage rules in Europe.
Every passenger gets one small cabin bag included, but larger cabin bags require upgrades such as easyJet Plus or paid cabin luggage.
I explain the full rules here:
👉 Cabin Max Metz 30L (45 × 36 × 20 cm) The maximum size for easyJet’s free under-seat allowance, avoid gate fees and are comfortable on your back for city breaks and short trips.
If you travel regularly with easyJet, it’s also worth investing in a cabin bag designed for their size limits, as this can save money on baggage fees.
This is perfect if you’ve purchased easyJet Speedy Boarding or paid for a larger cabin bag.
This set is perfect for checking in luggage with easyJet.
The full Cabin Max Anode luggage set (40L cabin case + 100L checked suitcase) is particularly useful for travellers who combine cabin bags and hold luggage. Shop the Cabin Max Anode Set on Amazon a stylish, travel-proven set.
One Smart Trick for Early easyJet Flights
If you're catching a very early departure, there’s another trick frequent flyers use.
Drop your bags with Twilight Bag Drop…then stay at an airport hotel the night before.
Instead of waking up at 3am and racing to the airport, you can simply walk to the terminal in the morning.
Airports like Gatwick, Manchester and Luton all have hotels within minutes of the terminal.
Another Way to Make Budget Flights Easier
One of the best ways to make budget airline travel less stressful is simply finding better flight deals in the first place.
Cheap flight alert services like Jack’s Flight Club track price drops and mistake fares including plenty of easyJet routes.
It’s one of the easiest ways to find cheap flights before they sell out.
easyJet Flight Delay & Cancellations Guide
👉 Read my full easyJet delays & cancellations guide for refunds, rebooking and EU261 rights.
easyJet Bag Drop vs Cabin Bags
Twilight Bag Drop only applies to hold luggage. Passengers travelling with just a cabin bag can go straight to security once they have checked in online. If you're unsure about what bags you can bring onboard, check the full easyJet cabin bag size and luggage allowance guide.
Premium Backpacks for easyJet Flights
The underrated easyJet hack: a structured travel backpack. Case Luggage’s range of premium backpacks (Samsonite, TUMI, Victorinox) are ideal for easyJet, organised, comfortable, and compliant with cabin rules.
→ Hands-free boarding, zero gate anxiety.
Plane Related Links
Final Boarding Call
Budget airlines don’t often introduce changes that genuinely make travel easier.
But easyJet’s Twilight Bag Drop expansion across eight UK airports is one that frequent flyers will appreciate.
Dropping bags the night before means you can skip the airport chaos and head straight through security the next morning.
And when your alarm is going off before sunrise, anything that makes travel plane easier is a win.
Hello I’m Paul a travel and flight expert, I spent most of my career working in and around planes with 15 years providing top-notch service with a London-based airline.
I became an expert in travel after soaring across the Atlantic up to 10 times a month!
I’m now, producing travel content, reaching millions of viewers monthly. Reporting on travel news, sharing travel tips, reviews, and deals with a sprinkle of humour and a whole lot of authenticity!
I hope you enjoyed this easyJet Makes BIG Airport Check-In Change, Making Early Flights Plane Easier. Do let me know in the comments........
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