Stricter Ryanair regulations could lead to British holidaymakers being struck with fines, or face the possibility of being refused boarding, if they don’t comply with strict baggage allowance rules.
The budget airline is warning customers to ‘adhere strictly,’ to regulations as they enforce rules around baggage allowance on-board flights more stringently, with increased numbers of staff known as ‘baggage-sizers’ placed at all of their boarding gates.
Customers are increasingly being asked to place their luggage into the baggage sizer racks, and subsequently being asked to pay the ‘gate bag fee’.
Ryanair’s policy states: “If your small bag or 10kg cabin bag does not fit in the baggage sizers, which are placed at every boarding gate, we will tag your bag and place it in the aircraft hold subject to payment of a gate bag fee. You can collect it on the baggage carousel at your arrival airport.”
All Ryanair customers are able to bring one ‘small personal bag,’ on board at no extra cost. This could be a handbag, laptop bag or small backpack that needs to fit under an airplane seat.
Those looking to bring extra on board can add a ‘large’ cabin bag that measures up to 55x40x20cm bag weighing up to 10kg, in addition to the small personal carry on.
Standardising Baggage Allowances
The news comes as the European Parliament wants a rule that travelers should be allowed to take two pieces of hand luggage on board without being “subject to a price supplement”.
A number of false reports recently claimed that the EU was poised to roll new rules aiming to standardise baggage rules across all airlines from September 1st, something travel expert Simon Calder claims is untrue.
Despite budget airlines making a large chunk of their revenue from charging for larger items of hand luggage, many major airlines are seeking agreements with the EU to standardise requirements to make it easier for passengers
Ryanair founder Michael O’Leary has been very vocal on the topic, telling The Independent daily travel podcast that “there isn’t space on board the aircraft for any more bags.” Adding that officials in Brussels have to “accept that there will have to be restrictions”.
Trophy Fee
One of those Ryanair customers to be hit with the extra fee was Irish Superbike champion Jack Kennedy when he attempted to take the trophy he’d won in the sixth race of the Superbike season, back to Ireland from the UK.
Kennedy was told he would need to pay the £75 charge to get the trophy onboard with no special dispensation for the oversized item.
Kennedy tweeted: “Nice one @Ryanair charging me £75 to bring my trophy on board that I won in the UK and traveling home to Ireland FR667. What an absolute joke.”