If you’ve ever flown with Ryanair, you’ll be know the drill; affordable flights, strict baggage rules and the constant fear of unexpected charges at the gate. As one of Ireland’s most famous companies, the airline has revolutionised budget travel, offering flights across Europe for less than the price of a night out.
However, as many passengers have discovered, these budget-friendly flights can quickly skyrocket due to additional fees. We all know someone who has fallen foul of Ryanair’s luggage policy, whether it’s a friend blindsided by a hefty fee at the boarding gate or a family member frantically repacking their suitcase in the airport terminal.
Given the current cost of living crisis, more people are attempting to fit everything into their free ‘small bag’ allowance to avoid expensive extras where possible. But the challenge lies in ensuring that this bag complies with Ryanair’s strict 40 x 20 x 25cm size restrictions, or risk the dreaded yellow sticker of shame and an unforeseen charge, reports Belfast Live.
This was exactly the situation journalist Ruby Flanagan found herself in during a recent trip through Dublin Airport. Unlike most passengers hit with oversized luggage fees, Ruby’s charge wasn’t due to an extra bag, an overstuffed backpack or a suitcase that wouldn’t fit in the sizer.
Ruby was left baffled and frustrated after being charged €60 (£50) by Ryanair for a reason that seems almost farcical – a water bottle. This incident has led to questions about the extent of the airline’s regulations.
Ruby recounts her bewildering experience with Ryanair’s baggage policy, which unexpectedly left her out of pocket. Contrary to the usual oversized bag fee, it was a water bottle that triggered the charge.
Ryanair, known for its low-cost international flights, is also infamous for levying hefty additional charges. These fees often catch passengers off-guard at the boarding gate for supposedly exceeding their luggage allowance, a trap Ruby fell into on her recent trip to Dublin.
Social media is rife with complaints about Ryanair’s baggage fees, affecting a significant number of travellers. For a brief visit to meet friends in Dublin, Ruby opted for just a backpack, believing it would be adequate for the short stay.
She chose a “non-priority” ticket, which allows for one “small” bag, no larger than 40 x 20 x 25cm, to fit under the seat. The total cost for a return journey was an appealing £35.86 (€43).
Ruby said: “Last year, I snapped up a backpack from Amazon that turned out to be the perfect fit for an airline’s baggage allowance, and it swiftly became my go-to bag for travel. With several successful trips under my belt, I had every intention of using it again.
“Early on Saturday, February 1, at a yawning 5.30am, I strode through Stansted Airport with confidence as the Ryanair gate staff checked my boarding pass without batting an eyelid. Backpack on and water bottle attached to the top handle, I proceeded to my flight, unaware of the drama that was to unfold in just three days’ time.
“Coming back from Dublin, with a throat so raw it made me sound like a chronic smoker, I reached the gate for my return flight to Stansted at 12.05pm. Although the gate officially closed at 11.30am, travelling light with just an aisle seat and my backpack allowed me to saunter up around 20 minutes later.
“With my passport and boarding pass ready, I was halted by an unexpected tap on the shoulder. A Ryanair staff member directed me firmly, ‘You need to put your bag in here,’ pointing to the sizing box.
“Obligingly, I squeezed the bag into the box with a soft nudge. As I hoisted it back onto my shoulder, the same crew member zeroed in on my water bottle, now slung across me, and pronounced: ‘That will need to go in the bag’.
“With a hoarse tone, I questioned whether such a measure was truly necessary, considering it hadn’t been needed on my incoming flight. The crew member stood their ground, insisting that all additional items must be packed inside my bag when getting on the plane and pointed me back to the departure lounge.
“Feeling more and more flustered, I awkwardly attempted to stuff the 750ml metal water bottle into my already overstuffed luggage. I wasn’t alone in this predicament; several other passengers were also being pulled aside by Ryanair staff, each of us frantically trying to re-pack our carry-ons.
“Once I managed to rearrange everything and force the bottle in, my bag took on an ungainly shape, with the zipper barely holding together. Heading back to the gate, I had to scan my boarding pass again, only to be stopped by another staff member who bluntly informed me, ‘That bag is too big. You’ll need to go over there and pay to get on the flight.’
“Perplexed, I asked why the water bottle couldn’t just be carried as I had done previously. I was beginning to feel like quite the problem passenger.
“The reply I got was a stern explanation about how the water bottle needed to fit inside the bag; if not, it would be considered a ‘second bag’, which my ticket didn’t allow for. Bewildered, I repeated my argument, emphasising the words ‘water bottle’.
“I was utterly bewildered as I watched fellow travellers with laptops, Burger King meals, and cosy travel pillows breeze through without a hitch. At that point, I confess, I turned into the kind of irate customer you’d see on the 1990s TV show ‘Airline’.
“The whole situation left me flabbergasted. And it wasn’t just me; other passengers singled out by Ryanair staff voiced similar objections, echoing my argument, ‘I flew here with the bag like this, why can’t I fly back?’.
“What followed were animated discussions filled with dramatic hand gestures, frustrated eye rolls, repeated mentions of “dimensions”, and a lot of finger-pointing specifically at the chap at the gate with the card machine who awkwardly waved us over.
“When Ryanair abruptly closed the gate for our flight, panic kicked in quickly. I had never experienced the horror of missing a flight before or more accurately being prevented from boarding one by airline staff.
“In desperation, I asked, ‘What am I supposed to do?’. The response offered little consolation, ‘You’ll have to pay for it either way,’ a staff member told me, emphasising, ‘out, it’s a second bag and in, the bags too big, so you’ll need to pay’.
“With just 15 minutes to go before my flight was due to take off, I realised with a jolt that I hadn’t even sat down yet. In a frantic scramble, I approached the official holding the card, pressed €60 into their hand, and quickly found myself wearing the so-called yellow sticker of shame on my backpack an ‘achievement’ reserved for those of us who hadn’t quite mastered Ryanair’s stringent baggage policy or had elected to ignore it.
“I certainly wasn’t on my own; at least four of us were caught out on this particular flight, meaning Ryanair scooped up an additional £200 (€239) from our collective miscalculation. With a mere ten minutes left until departure, another traveller stamped with the same dreaded yellow sticker and I made a mad dash towards the waiting aircraft.
“It appeared that her cabin bag was now unexpectedly breaking the rules too big by a small margin thanks to its handle and although she’d flown hassle-free from Stansted two days prior, her bag was now destined for the plane’s hold. She was fuming, airing her grievances both to me and the staff member relegating her bag to luggage limbo.
“The employee’s response? ‘I can’t tell you how many times we do this each day, I honestly don’t know how it works.’ Eventually, I sprinted to my seat and fell into it, gasping for air and trembling confused and deeply annoyed by the whole debacle, still trying to wrap my head around the chaos.
“During a swift 50-minute flight back to London, it dawned on me that binning my water bottle and shelling out £25 (€30) for a new one upon landing would have been more cost-effective. This revelation was a bitter pill to swallow, but chucking the bottle would have been a flagrant snub to the environment – not to mention it would have stripped me of the satisfaction of contributing to the over one-millionth plastic bottle saved from landfill by choosing to refill.
“Hats off to Dublin Airport for sharing that impressive stat with me. Once I landed, I dragged myself to my coach and promptly penned a complaint to Ryanair about the fee slapped on me because my water bottle was separate from my carry-on.
“Ryanair’s initial comeback recognised that I was ‘disputing a baggage fee charged for carrying a water bottle separate from your carry-on bag’ before they brushed off my complaint, echoing the terms listed on their baggage policy webpage word for word.
“After relaying this turbulent saga to my workmates, I decided to take the issue up a notch to Ryanair’s press office. I wondered if there was any difference between bringing my own water bottle and picking one up at the airport – would the latter have sailed through without a hitch?
“Furthermore, I asked whether this rule applied to neck pillows, scarves, umbrellas, and other items typically hooked onto bags during travel.
Ryanair’s baggage policy is: “All our fares include one small personal bag which can be brought on board, such as a handbag, backpack, or laptop bag (40x20x25cm), which must fit under the seat in front of you.”
Ryanair was contacted for further clarification but did not specifically address the issue regarding whether a water bottle carrier bag could be brought onto a flight separately. The airline stated instead that under their current policy, such an item would need to fall within a passenger’s baggage allowance.
Ryanair said: “This passenger booked a Basic Fare ticket for this flight from Dublin to Stansted (4 Feb), which allowed them to carry a small personal bag onboard. This passenger attempted to board with an additional carry-on, and as it would not fit within their permitted bag, she was correctly required to pay a standard gate baggage fee (€60). Once payment was made, this passenger travelled on this flight from Dublin to Stansted (4 Feb).”
Anyone looking for luggage which should meet all the requirements for an easy flight with just hand luggage, Amazon has some options. The EcoHub ECOHUB Expandable Underseat Hand Luggage Bag is available for £19.99 and comes in four colours.
Another option is the LoveVook Underseat Travel Bag Backpack, which Amazon is selling for £24.99. The EcoHub Underseat Backpack Carry on is slightly more expensive, costing £29.99, but does have an expandable water bottle pocket to avoid any embarrassing encounters.