Ryanair increases free cabin bag size allowance: French flights impacted
Airline continues to oppose new EU plans to overhaul baggage rules
The new limits are larger than the EU’s proposed minimum
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Low-cost carrier Ryanair has increased the size of carry-on luggage passengers can take on flights, including those to France.
The new size limits came into force yesterday (September 4) after the plan was originally announced earlier in the summer.
Passengers with a standard ticket can now take one small under-the-seat cabin bag with a dimension of 40 cm x 30 cm x 20 cm. Previously the limit was 40 x 25 x 20cm.
The airline has updated its bag sizers to fit with the new limits.
The new rules do not affect additional baggage such as overhead bags or hold luggage, which must still be purchased for an additional fee or via Priority Boarding tickets.
The airline hopes customers will enjoy these bigger, free carry-on bag sizes, said Ryanair Chief Marketing Officer Dara Brady.
“Any passenger who fails to comply with these new generous limits, will be required to pay the checked in bag fee at the boarding gate,” he added.
The airline is reported to be mulling over offering staff additional incentives to catch oversized baggage from November onwards, and has implemented new fees for those missing flights in a bid to reduce delays across European air space.
Airline opposes new EU plans
The additional size increase correlated to an extra 4 litres of space, and brings Ryanair in line with low-cost rivals such as Wizz Air, although it is still some way off of easyJet’s 45 cm x 36 cm x 20 cm limit.
Ryanair said the new luggage limit is 33% bigger than the EU’s new proposed minimum (40 x 30 x 15 cm) for under-the-seat luggage.
However, the airline, alongside many others, is against further EU plans to allow a second free cabin bag weighing up to 7kg to all passengers.
This would come as standard for all purchased tickets, with customers only needing to purchase additional luggage if they wanted to bring on a third bag or hold luggage.
These plans are yet to be implemented – they have been accepted by MEPs on the EU Transport Committee, but a wider vote from all members of the chamber is yet to take place.
Only after this happens – and if all the various policies, voted on individually, are passed – will the EU start working with countries and airlines to bring in new rules.
“We’re flying largely full flights, about half the passengers can bring two bags and the other half can only bring one – because that’s all that fits in the plane,” Ryanair head Michael O’Leary over the proposals.
“We’re already struggling with that amount of baggage. That’s one of the reasons we are so aggressive about eliminating the scourge of passengers with excess baggage,” he added.
