PASSENGERS have expressed outrage after the Ryanair boss revealed the airline’s incentive for staff to catch out holidaymakers with oversized bags.
It was reported that the budget airline plans to raise the current incentive for its gate staff from €1.50 (£1.29) to €2.50 (£2.16) per bag, from November.
Since the announcement, disgruntled passengers have taken to social media with their thoughts – and they are not happy.
One took to social media, writing: “All the more reason why I don’t fly with Ryanair, the airline is way too toxic.”
Another angrily wrote on Facebook: “Please stop it’s already a fortune for bags pure greed and disgusting way to treat your customers.”
A third said: “Well after 22 years of using them, we have agreed enough is enough. I will prefer to drive 2 hours extra to catch an Aer Lingus flight or any other than deal with them again.”
Another described the new policy as “nonsense” and described the process of checking in with Ryanair as “stressful” – even if you have a bag of the right size and weight.
Others believe people are being “screwed over by Ryanair” whose staff “falsely accuse” passengers of having an oversized bag.
Speaking at a press conference, CEO Micheal O’Leary said on August 27, that he makes “absolutely no apology” for catching people who are “scamming the system”.
He added that he was “mystified” by the number of passengers still trying to sneak rucksacks on flights while paying for the cheapest fare.
The CEO revealed that around 200,000 passengers are charged luggage fees at airport gates each year and hence, the airline has “more work to do to get rid of them”.
As a result, Ryanair staff will be given a cash incentive to catch out passengers trying to sneak through oversized bags – with a monthly cap of 80 euros (£68.98) set to be scrapped.
Passengers with an oversized bag who attempt to check it into the hold will face an additional £75 fee if it is brought to the boarding gate.
The outrage over the staff incentive to spot oversized bags has continued despite Michael O’Leary adding that there could be lower flight fares on the horizon.
As a result of Ryanair adding more planes to its fleet for next spring, there will be increased passenger capacity, leading to lower fares.
Talking to Reuters he said that the delivery of more aircraft will give it “more capacity” and “we feed that capacity by lowering air fares.”
In July, the Ryanair updated the size restrictions of passengers’ ‘personal bags’.
The maximum size was altered from 40x25x20cm to 40x30x20cm – adding 5cm to the overall dimensions.
In total, this means that passengers get an overall capacity of 24 litres – when before it was 20 litres.
And Ryanair axes flights to Spain – affecting one million passengers.
Here’s more on the European airport to welcome Ryanair flights next summer – despite axing routes from the UK.
Here Are The Current Ryanair Baggage Rules
According to Ryanair’s website, here are the latest baggage rules…
According to Ryanair’s website, the current fee for priority boarding and two cabin bags costs between £12 and £36 when added at the time of flight booking or between £20 and £60, when added after booking or at the airport.
A checked bag, weighing up to 10kg, costs between £9.49 and £44.99, when added at the time of booking or between £23.99 and £44.99, when added after booking or at the airport.
The next step up is a checked bag weighing up to 20kg, costing between £18.99 and £59.99 when added at time of booking, or between £39.99 and £59.99 when added after or at the airport.
Finally, a checked bag weighing up to 23kg, which can only be added at the time of booking, costs between £29.99 and £80.99.
Prices are for one-way, so if you were heading on a return flight – you would need to pay twice.
Excess baggage is then charged at £13 per kilogram.