Thanx for all the great info!! I'm gonna try that strategy for a good seat, & I'll post my results!

I think I read that anyone who doesn't have an EU passport (mine is US) has to go to the check-in desk, even if you already hava BP for a document check. Can I still do that if I check-in on the RyanAir app, or will I need a printed BP, so the agent can write "Docs OK", or similar on it. I'm not sure if I'll have access to a printer.