Ryanair dark UX patterns summer 2026 refresher

Ryanair's 2026 check-in process contains at least nine deliberately confusing steps designed to push users toward paid upgrades, including forced dismissal of upsell windows without "No" options, deceptive warnings about baggage fees, and strategically buried free choices. The article documents this as an evolution of Ryanair's long-standing dark UX pattern strategy, while offering practical workarounds such as checking in at the last possible moment to secure better seat allocations.