Ryanair has confirmed all its passengers will be getting a slight upgrade when it comes to travelling light from this month. The budget airline has finished installing its enlarged carry-on bag measuring devices at all 235 airports throughout Europe.
Starting today, Thursday, September 4, every Ryanair passenger can now take a larger, free personal bag (40 x 30 x 20cm), which is 33% bigger than the EU standard free carry-on bag (40 x 30 x 15 cm). Ryanair permits each traveller to take a single complimentary carry-on bag aboard, however these bags must be able to fit beneath each traveller’s seat.
Before the change, passengers had to make sure their carry-on luggage was no bigger than 40 x 20 x 25cm. If travellers desire to take an additional carry-on bag, they can purchase Ryanair’s Priority Boarding service, reports Birmingham Live.
Ryanair’s CMO, Dara Brady said: “From today (Thurs, 4 Sept) Ryanair’s new, bigger free carry-on bag is now 33% larger than the EU standard. Our bag sizers at all airports have now been ‘resized’ to accommodate this bigger, free carry-on bag.
“We hope our customers will enjoy these bigger, free carry-on bag sizes, but 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.”
Ryanair’s checked bag fees vary by weight, booking time, and travel dates, but generally range from approximately £10 to £30 for a 10kg bag and £19 to £60 for a 20kg bag when booked online, with fees significantly higher if purchased at the airport.
These can range from £36-£40 for a 10kg bag or a flat £60 for a 20kg bag. The lowest prices are for 10kg and 20kg bags purchased at the time of booking, while the highest fees are for bags purchased at the airport or gate.
Ryanair is planning to increase bonuses for its employees who identify travellers trying to bring oversized luggage onto aircraft. Ryanair’s chief executive, Michael O’Leary, has stated he makes “absolutely no apology” for catching those who are “scamming the system”.
At a press conference in central London, Mr O’Leary informed reporters that the airline is likely to increase incentives for gate staff who catch passengers attempting to bring oversized luggage onboard from 1.50 euros (£1.29) to 2.50 euros (£2.16) per bag from November.
Mr O’Leary said: “I make absolutely no apology for it whatsoever. I want our ground handling people to be catching people who are scamming the system.
“I am still mystified by the number of people with rucksacks who still think they’re going to get through the gate and we won’t notice the rucksack. We will, and you will be paying for the rucksack. You’re not getting on if it doesn’t fit.”
In other Ryanair news, the budget airline recently announced a huge cut to flights that are part of its usual Spanish routes. It has claimed that the wide-scale cuts are in response to Spain’s airport operator Aena, announcing it wants to increase passenger fees by 6.5% in 2026.
In a press conference yesterday, Wednesday September 3, Ryanair bosses revealed that it will cancel all flights to Vigo and Tenerife North (starting on January 1 2026). Valladolid and Jerez bases remain closed until the winter this year, and it will reduce capacity in Asturias, Santander, Zaragoza, and the Canary Islands.
The budget airline warned that the cuts will “further harm Spain’s already vulnerable regional airports and will inevitably lead to a loss of investment, connectivity, tourism, and jobs in regional Spain, as many routes will become economically unviable.”