A Ryanair passenger has hit out at the airline after she was forced to pay a £75 oversized bag fee for a suitcase she claims to have used ‘more than 30 times’ over the last seven years
Ryanair has strict rules when it comes to their luggage allowance (stock image)(Image: Placebo365 via Getty Images)
A Ryanair passenger claims she was forced to pay a £75 fee at the airport terminal for a bag she has travelled fine with ‘more than 30 times’. The flyer, named Laura, shared her frustration on X after the unexpected luggage charge.
Laura, who had been flying through Manchester Airport, posted: “Hey @Ryanair I want a refund for the £75 that the absolute jobsworth at Manchester Airport this afternoon took from me for an ‘oversized’ bag i’ve used and never had an issue with on this exact journey maybe 30+ times over the last seven years.” She included a photograph showing the bag apparently fitting into the 40 x 30 x 20 cm slot which is permitted.
In a follow-up to her initial post, she explained: “I asked a staff member, ‘have the measurements changed recently?’ and they said no, but that the enforcement was more stringent.”
One person responded: “This happened to me last year! Baring in mind I’ve just come back from a holiday 2 weeks before and had no problems.
“Their argument was that it was sticking out (being too wide). It wasn’t at all and is the same as yours is in the picture. Poor behaviour.”
Another user chimed in: “You’re so right, they’re trying to get money as much as they can, I had to buy a new bag as the one I’ve been using for the last 14 years is ‘too big’ and they also made me pay. They want to take money as much as possible.”
A third also added: “I hate that but there is no winning. The only way I found is to ask for the measure and have them measure it, if it checks out then it’s fine if not, then it’s on you.”
Not everyone was sympathetic, however, with some siding with Ryanair over the bag’s size. One user wrote: “The depth of your suitcase goes over the line that clearly says too big. What makes you think you are entitled to this over the other millions of passengers who don’t do this?”.
Another commented: “Looks like you owe Ryanair £2,250 for those 30 flights. Double it if they were returns.”
While one user simply stated: “It’s oversized.”
Several others urged Laura to switch airlines if she was unhappy with Ryanair’s policies.
She responded, however: “Unfortunately they’re the only airline operating on that route.”
A representative for Ryanair said: “This passenger booked a Regular Fare for this flight from Manchester to Göteborg Landvetter (Aug 4), which allowed them to carry a small personal bag and 10kg cabin bag measuring up to 55 x 40 x 20 cm onboard.
“As this passenger’s cabin bag exceeded the permitted size, she was correctly required to pay a standard gate baggage fee by the gate agent at Manchester Airport.”
What are Ryanair’s baggage fees?
Ryanair’s baggage fees vary dynamically depending on the route, date of travel, and when you purchase the allowance. Buying baggage online during your initial flight booking is always the cheapest option.
Cabin and hand luggage fees
Every passenger is allowed one small personal item for free (e.g., laptop bag, small backpack) that must fit under the seat in front of you (max 40 x 20 x 25 cm).
Priority and 2 cabin bags: Allows you to bring the free small bag plus a 10kg overhead cabin bag (max 55 x 40 x 20 cm).
- When booking flight: €/£6 to €/£36
- Added post-booking / at airport
Gate baggage fee: If your non-priority cabin bag is oversized at the gate, it will be placed in the hold for a fee of €/£50 to €/£69.99.
Checked baggage fees
- 10kg checked bag – €/£9.49 – €/£44.99 during initial booking, €/£23.99 – €/£44.99 post-booking/at airport
- 20kg checked bag – €/£18.99 – €/£59.99 during initial booking, €/£39.99 – €/£59.99 post-booking/at airport
- 23kg checked bag – €/£29.99 – €/£80.99 during initial booking, €/£54.00 – €/£97.00 post-booking/at airport