We need your help now
Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.
You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.
If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.
Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
By continuing, you are indicating that you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
NEW RYANAIR BAGGAGE rules come into effect today meaning passengers can’t take a large cabin bag on board unless they have bought priority boarding.
Up until now, Ryanair has allowed passengers to carry one cabin bag along with an additional small bag, such as a backpack or shopping bag for free.
However, the airline has now axed the scheme as “too many customers are availing of Ryanair’s two free carry-on bags service, and with high load factors, there is not enough overhead cabin space for this volume of carry-on bags”.
From today, passengers with large cabin bags who do not avail of priority boarding or Ryanair’s Flexi Plus or Family Plus tickets, will have to place their bags in the hold of the aircraft.
Priority boarding costs €5.
Ryanair said the high volume of carry-on bags is causing boarding and flight delays.
Ryanair / TwitterOur new baggage policy is commencing on Monday January 15th. Don't forget to familiarise yourself here. pic.twitter.com/deTjCEBYvX
— Ryanair (@Ryanair) January 9, 2018
In addition to cancelling the scheme, Ryanair has increased check-in bag sizes from 15kg to 20kg “to encourage more customers to check in bags and reduce the number of customers with two bags at the boarding gates”.
The airline has also reduced the standard check-in bag fee from €35 to €25 for a 20kg bag.
Ryanair spokesperson Kenny Jacobs said the new bag policy changes will cost the airline more than €50 million per year in reduced checked bag fees.
“We believe offering bigger bags at reduced fees will encourage more customers to consider checking-in a bag, which will reduce the high volume of customers we have with two carry-on bags at the boarding gates, which is causing flight delays due to large numbers of gate bag and cabin bag offloads,” Jacobs said.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
In the grand scheme of things not an unreasonable call.
@Toon Army: they should just ban any and all suitcases from the cabin. Boarding would be very swift.
@FPL Thommo: yes. Laptop bag should be the only allowable carry on. Under the seat.
Customers only have themselves to blame. So many folks milking it, large case been carried on and then a full napsack on their back. I see no issue and think it’s about time. If u want to cause baggage issues in the cabin now ull pay towards it.
@RJ: agreed. Causes a real aggravation when boarding,/disembarking.
@RJ: Blame? I’m delighted with extra 5kg on check-in bag, extra 5kg of cheap buzz on way back from my EU trips ;)
@RJ: that’s Ryanair not checking bag sizes. Any backpack is outside the dimensions permitted for the second bag by Ryanair.
It’s not like we’ve not been warned in advance. But just wait for the whingers to be on the phone to Joe Duffy later complaining.
This was inevitable with the countless simpletons bringing two wheelie bags with them on board for the last two years. You can thank these phuckwits for this.
Perfectly sensible and fair.
Would love to see the calculations of how it will cost them 50 million. Have they factored in the increased revenue from people having to pay priority boarding? Also, reducing the fee for check in bags will lead to more people checking them in. I would be very surprised if this change in policy costs Ryanair 50 million.
@Ronan Doyle: they are agreeing to carry an extra 5kg of weight per checked in bag. That’s extra fuel.
@Ronan Doyle:
Staff costs while the flight is delayed? Underutilization of aircraft?
@Ronan Doyle: have to pay for baggage hsndlers to unload and the costs at the relevant airports. Its great vslue. Take lanzarotte for example. Ryanair 20kg for a return trip is 50 euro, 15kg with Aer Lingus is 100 euro.
@Dara Smith: during peak times they’ll up the price to €40 each way!
@Ronan Doyle: you probably just misunderstood exactly what happened / will happen which is easy to do as it can get complicated – suffice to say , people had to pay for checkin bags but not what they brought on board. They used to only allow one pieces on board but they extended it to allowing a second free on board piece. This meant people were not paying for second bags ( thats what was costing the the 50m in lost revenues ). But too many people now bring the second bag onboard causing over stuffed bins and delays- so you can pay 5 euro and bring the second bag on board OR check it in FREE. Simples.
@Ronan Doyle: In some cases (excuse the pun) the 20kg baggage fee will be more than the flight for the traveller.
Simple solution. Each seat should have an allotted space in the overhead bins corresponding to your seat number. If your bag won’t fit, it goes into the hold. Problem solved.
@John Cassin: Exactly. You should own the space above your seat, simple.
@Christopher Byrne: there isn’t enough space for everyone to bring a full ryanair sized cabin bag on board above your seat. This is a problem of ryanair making by charging ridiculous amounts for checked luggage.
Ryanair provides the service. It dictates the rules.
In other news, a 2.50 charge has been implemented for on-board oxygen supply.
Surely if most people pay the priority boarding fee, that will just mean a bigger Q at the boarding gate which means you wont necessarily avail of any priority boarding? Maybe they should just rename the priority boarding fee as a cabin bag fee? (& if they charge X amount to check a bag or €5 to avail of cabin bags, does thia mean that the cheap no frills flights mean no ‘free’ bags at all?)
@Barry Ringwood: yeah i agree….what if you buy priority to avoid stress and just board the aircraft early…so many will have priority now the queue will be just as long….
@Barry Ringwood: Why would most people pay the extra fee just so they can bring a bag onboard? I think most people wont care about their bag going in the hold as long as its free to do that. It saves the hassle of messing around on the plane trying to find somewhere to store it in the overhead locker
The additional costs are still a bit confusing. Ryanair say priority boarding will be €5, yet on my next flight with them its €6 per head. Michael O’Leary also said to pick a seat next to someone will cost from €2. Never once seen a seat at €2 before or since.
@The Dons: the 2 euro ones are just behind the emergency rows. They are only there when you make the booking not when you want to add one later. I travel once a month and always have a 2 euro seat.
@The Dons: €5 at the time of booking or €6 if you add it on later. I must be one of the jackpot winners for a €2 seat – although it was for a flight booked a few months in advance.
@Sam Lowry: just booked a flight with Ryanair to Munich there for March. There were no seats at €2 behind the exit row seats at booking stage. Those seats were priced at €6 and the flight was empty. There were €4 seats with a 50% off seat sale at the back though
Delighted to see this. We always book cases and reserve seats to sit together. Not expensive and hassle free. Then i see my sister in law, swans on with a big sportsbag sized handbag and a wedged carryon. Doesn’t usually sit in the right seat either like so many other numptys. The few always ruin it for the rest.
Why didn’t they just enforce the old size restriction thing they had at the gate. It’s hardly revolutionary to put baggage in the hold. There’s definitely a need for an international standard for cabin baggage for short hall. If it’s not to spec it goes in the hold.
Met more that one ignorant pig like creature who messed with my luggage that had been stowed in the overhead compartments. This won’t do anything to improve their ape-like behaviour generally, but hopefully, the flight will be more comfortable.
Won’t someone Please think of the children!
@Karl Monaghan: they probably won’t allow you to put the children in the overhead lockers.
So, can everyone pay for priority or is it capped at 90 people? (for the 90 bag spaces) I’ve been plauged with emails and app messages asking me if I want to upgrade.
@Alan Madden: and will they measure & weigh those “10kg”bags before taking them from you at the gate?! This is gonna get messy before it settles down.
What?!? This is an outrage!
People should reduce or stop using the carry on suitcase. Some are heavy, even when empty what with handles and its mechanism. Anyway, you can fit more stuff into a medium size sports bag and wont be as heavy as the carry on suitcase…not as square and bulky. Yes a sports bag wont have wheels, but so what.
They will be telling you to sit on the wings next I wouldn’t fly with them if they were the last airline on earth
All i can say is there a great airline iv traveled half of europe for nothing .. keep ot up ..
What about duty free bags, do they have to be stuffed into the carry on bag?. Whag about the weight of the duty free purchased?
Does that mean if you’re carrying a handbag that it’s your only piece of carry on allowed? I think they did that before didn’t they? Ooh I can’t remember, confused….
So we all pay a fiver which allows us to take on our big carry on bag and the queues stay the same ha ingenious
What is the priority limit? I still haven’t read any info about it.
Also what’s with the ridiculous prices to fly to Faro sometimes? 200+ euros for a one way? I thought Ryanair was a low cost company…
have your say