Ryanair would avoid delays changing luggage policy

Millions of Ryanair passengers will be forced to put their weekend bags and small suitcases in the hold from November 1, unless they cough up £10 per return flight for priority boarding.

The low-cost airline said only those who pay the fee will be allowed to take a larger 10kg bag, measuring up to 55cm x 40cm x 20cm, into the cabin. Everyone else will be able to keep a small handbag or laptop bag (35cm x 20cm x 20cm), but will have their bigger cases taken from them at the gate and placed in the hold (free of charge).

Priority boarding customers will continue to be able to keep both bags with them on the aircraft.

On busy flights Ryanair has for some time prevented the last 40 or 50 passengers from taking wheelie suitcases on board. Knowing this, customers will head to the gate as early as possible, and start queueing, to avoid being parted from their luggage – and enduring a wait at baggage reclaim. Others will travel with a backpack or holdall rather than a wheelie case. Now the only way to avoid having a carry-on bag taken away will be to pay the priority boarding fee of £5 per person per flight. 

Despite admitting that some passengers would oppose the changes, Ryanair claimed the move was part of its “Always Getting Better” programme, and in an attempt to encourage more people to check in their luggage, it has also cut checked bag fees from £35 per person per flight to £25 and increase checked baggage allowance from 15kg to 20kg. 

The airline's chief marketing officer, Kenny Jacobs, said he hoped the changes will "eliminate flight delays" caused by not having sufficient overhead cabin space on busy flights.

He went on: "These bag policy changes will cost Ryanair over €50 million  (£46 million) per annum in reduced checked bag fees.

"However, 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 airline staff would “use their discretion” to decide if a passenger's bag is small enough to be permitted on board; Ryanair's rules state that they should measure no more than 35cm x 20cm x 20cm. “It will need to fit under the seat in front,” he added.

Bags brought to the gate that are found to weigh more than 10kg, or that measure in excess of 55cm x 40cm x 20cm, will be subject to a £50/€50 oversized cabin bag fee and placed in the hold.

The changes will apply to all existing and future bookings.