As others have said, Ryanair tend to run most flights at close to full capacity.
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Some airports have signs at the gate that will show how full the flight is. The only other option is to go through the sales flow at least a couple of hours before departure and put the guest count up to 8 (the max it will allow) and see if that flight is still available.
But all is not lost. There's no doubt that planes are very full these days, but contrary to what the gate agent or flight attendant says when trying to get you to gate check your luggage to your final destination, most flights aren't completely full — most still depart with at least one empty seat.
A look at last-minute cancellation rates (within 24 hours of departure) suggests Ryanair is a fair bit more reliable than easyJet. At Ryanair the rate was 0.5% – a lot lower than easyJet's 1.3%. BA lost a lot of marks for this – its last-minute cancellation rate was put at 2.3%.
If there are not enough passengers who are willing to give up their seats voluntarily, an airline may deny you a seat on an aircraft based on criteria that it establishes, such as the passenger's check-in time, the fare paid by the passenger, or the passenger's frequent flyer status.
Global airlines' combined passenger load factor has been gradually trending upward over the last 15 years; from 75.2 percent in 2005 to 82.6 percent in 2019. In 2020, due to the coronavirus pandemic, passenger load factor dropped to 65 percent. However, it was forecasted to bounce back to 81 percent in 2023.
Contrary to popular belief, airlines don't cancel flights just to save money, for instance if there aren't enough passengers to make it worth their while. But they do cancel flights to prevent even wider cancellations and delays.
Normally, but not always. It is expensive to carry extra fuel: you are effectively air freighting it to the stop you do not fill up at. But there are occasions when it makes sense to do so.
Involuntarily Giving Up Your Seat (Bumping) Sometimes, when an airline asks for volunteers to give up their seats and fly on a different flight, there are not enough volunteers. When this occurs, the airline will select passengers to give up their seats. This is called “involuntary denied boarding” or “bumping.”
Take a look during check-inThis usually comes with the chance to select or purchase seats, and as such will show you how many open seats are available the day before your flight. If the plane is looking too crowded for comfort, you'll still have time to switch to a new flight.
Some airlines simply sell enough tickets to fill every seat. Although this practice significantly reduces the chances that a passenger will be bumped, the airline may still bump passengers in rare circumstances - such as when the seat is needed for a Federal Air Marshall.
Why do airlines overbook? Empty seats mean less money for the airline. To account for last-minute cancellations, other flight delays or no-shows, it's common for carriers to oversell seats.
If you act fast, you can make changes without having to pay any fees. Ryanair offers a 24-hour grace period² where you can change dates and times (and reverse the routing destinations if you accidentally get your airport arrivals and departures the wrong way around) free of charge.
The maximum weight for cabin luggage on Ryanair is 22 lbs (10kg). Carry-on items must be stowed in the overhead bin or under the seat before you. Oversized or heavy baggage may be placed in the hold and checked for an extra fee.
Only priority boarding passengers will be permitted to take one small bag (40cm x 20cm x 25cm), plus a larger cabin bag (55 x 40 x 20cm) with a maximum weight allowance of 10kg into the cabin free of charge. Non-priority customers can only bring one small bag (40cm x 20cm x 25cm), that must fit into the sizer.