Ryanair increases staff incentive for oversized luggage, now offering €2.50 per bag.
Ryanair, the low-cost airline, is implementing stricter enforcement of its cabin bag size rules, a move aimed at ensuring fairness for passengers who adhere to the rules. The airline has been embroiled in court cases regarding charges for larger cabin bags.
Under the new policy, passengers will need to pre-book and pay for larger cabin bags to avoid charges at the gate. This approach is cheaper than paying at the gate, with Ryanair offering a €2.50 bonus to ground staff for every oversize cabin bag caught at the gate, an increase from the previous €1.50.
The free under-seat allowance remains in place, but enforcement is now more stringent. Ryanair employees will receive a bonus payment of €2.50 at the airport starting from November whenever they identify passengers carrying oversized or overweight hand luggage during gate checks.
Approximately 0.1% of Ryanair travellers, or around 200,000 a year, were previously caught at the gate without paying for oversize bags. Sharing bulky items among travellers can help avoid oversized bag fees.
The basic fare includes one small item that fits under the seat in front, with dimensions of 40×30×20cm as specified by Ryanair. Any larger item needs to be booked and paid for before reaching the queue. European lawmakers are considering a baseline free personal item size of 40×30×15cm across the EU.
If a passenger turns up with a bag that exceeds their allowance and hasn't been paid for in advance, they can be charged up to €75 to send it to the hold.
The change in enforcement could encourage other airlines to adopt similar policies. Some handlers have already introduced incentives for enforcing bag size rules. Soft-sided bags compress better and are easier to fit into the under-seat sizer, making them a more practical choice for travellers.
Airlines across the budget market are tightening gate checks, following Ryanair's lead. However, tricks like stuffing coats with clothes or using pillow-case packing may not be effective when there's a bonus for enforcing the rules.
Ryanair has scrapped the old €80 monthly cap for bonuses, indicating a commitment to enforcing its cabin bag size rules consistently. This change in policy is part of Ryanair's ongoing efforts to improve the passenger experience while maintaining its reputation for affordability.
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