Ryanair delays new 1-luggage policy until January 2018

Ryanair is to postpone its new cabin bag policy until January 15, 2018 "to allow customers more time to adjust to the changes", it says. The new policy, which was to have come into effect from November 1st, axes free 10kg carry-on bags for all but Priority Boarding Customers.
Passengers who do not pay its €5 priority fee will have to check the larger of their two cabin bags (10kg, 55cm x 40cm x 20cm) into the hold at the boarding gate.

These 10kg bags can be checked free of charge, and the smaller item, such as a handbag or laptop (up to 5kg; 35cm x 20cm x 20cm) can still be taken on board, however.

The airline said the new bag policy was essential because there was not enough overhead cabin space for the volume of carry-on bags that passengers were bringing on board, which it said was causing boarding and flight delays.

Ryanair said in September the move would cost it €50m (£44.6m) in reduced fees for checked baggage, but critics regard it as a ruse to increase the number of people paying for priority boarding.

The delay will be a welcome reprieve for Ryanair customers, but may not be enough to get back in the good books of the thousands who have been affected by the airline's recent scheduling snafu. The move also comes after six weeks of negative press for the airline after they cancelled more than 700,000 bookings because of a huge admin blunder involving its pilots.

Furious holidaymakers hit out at the budget airline in September after thousands of cancellations left them panicking about holiday plans.

The delay, Ryanair says, will allow customers more time to adjust to the changes, particularly during the busy Christmas period. Ryanair’s Kenny Jacobs said: “We will delay the introduction of our new cabin bag rules until 15th January 2018, to allow our customers more time to familiarise themselves with the policy changes.