A Ryanair passenger claims she was travelling from Birmingham Airport to Malaga in Spain when her journey suddenly became £75 more costly. Gilly Bachelor, a travel agency owner, said she was about to board the aircraft when crew members placed her cabin bag into the baggage sizer at the boarding gates.
The 55 year old said her bag’s wheels were protruding slightly from the sizer and was told it would cost her £75 to take the bag on board on top of the £125 she had already reportedly paid for priority tickets and two cabin bag allowances. She said: “I’ve taken that bag on lots of flights with no problem, just not Ryanair. As we were boarding, a gentleman was checking all the bags.
“They put it in the sizer, and the issue was with the wheels, and that it was slightly too wide. I travel a lot myself, so I’m usually pretty relaxed, and clearly this caught me out this time.”
The Cannock, Staffordshire resident described the incident as “stressful”, but claimed she wasn’t the only one encountering this problem on her flight.
She alleged at least 20 passengers on her plane were pulled aside and charged as a staff member inspected every bag in the sizer whilst travellers boarded.
She added: “Ryanair is a very low-cost airline, so they operate to tight margins and will generate extra revenue wherever they can.”
Ryanair guidance states: “Our overhead lockers can only fit 100 bags so we measure bags at the gate to make sure you are bringing the right size bag in order for us to make sure we can get all 100 bags on board.”
Gilly added: “Ryanair gets a lot of criticism, but the rules are clear and easy to follow.
“I used them outbound because the timing worked, but flew home with easyJet and my bag was fully compliant, as it would have been with Jet2.”
She encouraged passengers to verify thoroughly the baggage requirements with their chosen carrier to prevent issues arising. She advised: “My advice is to check the size rules carefully and invest in a compliant bag. It’s much less stressful than being caught at the gate and paying a fine.”
Ryanair has been approached for comment.
