Little-known Ryanair bag rule might mean your luggage isn’t allowed on the plane

Staff
By Staff

Ryanair has updated its hand luggage policy, with the airline’s free ‘personal bag’ now allowed to be larger than before – but there’s a strict rule to look out for

Woman checking size of her carry-on luggage at airport.
Ryanair usually only allows a free ‘personal bag’ with its fares(Image: Getty)

Ryanair travellers could see their luggage turned away at the boarding gate, even when they’re willing to cough up additional charges for it. The no-frills carrier allows passengers on standard tickets to bring one “personal bag” without cost, provided it meets particular size restrictions.

The former measurements were 40x25x20cm, but these have been revised following amendments to EU legislation. Currently, Ryanair’s personal bag specifications are 40x30x20cm, with crew members able to utilise bag measuring devices at every gate to verify whether travellers’ luggage surpasses this limit.

If your bag fails to squeeze into the sizer at the gate, you’ll be hit with an extra charge to take it aboard, potentially reaching £70 or 70 euros. In other similar news, a Brit abroad slammed an all-inclusive hotel food asking ‘what on earth is this?’

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Manchester Airport, United Kingdom - 30  January 2022: Ryanair Boeing 737 (EI-ENI) arriving.
Ryanair to charge £70/70€ if your bag fails to squeeze into the sizer at the gate(Image: Bradley Caslin via Getty Images)

The cheapest Ryanair flights are the Basic Fares, which only allow a passenger to bring a personal item (which has to fit under the seat) on board, as well as be assigned a random seat. Although the ticket price is lower compared to other fares, it comes with a lot of restrictions.

We’ve all read or heard stories about passengers getting charged extortionate prices because their personal items were bigger than the allowance. To avoid this from happening, passengers can pay an additional cost to ensure that their journeys are as smooth and as trouble-free as possible. But for those who are budget-conscious and want to save as much as possible, keep an eye out at the gate.

A little-known regulation might see your bag refused entry, even when you’re prepared to settle the additional costs with airport personnel. This occurs because all Ryanair departure gates function without accepting cash, requiring any gate bag charges to be paid via card, reports the Daily Record.

READ MORE: ‘I’m travelling Europe and there are three things you never need to pack in carry-on’

A Ryanair representative stated: “Our bag policy is simple; if it fits in our bag sizer, which is bigger than our agreed dimensions, it gets on free of charge. If it doesn’t fit within our sizers, it will get charged for.”

“There is a very simple solution to this issue, which is that passengers comply with their agreement of the time of booking, and travel with bags that fit or are smaller than our agreed bag dimensions,” they added.

Travellers lacking a card or who cannot otherwise settle payment for an oversized bag will be barred from bringing the bag onto the plane.

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