Irish family hit with Ryanair fine for apparently oversized cabin bags on Christmas flight to Spain
A frustrated passenger has challenged the penalty after being charged €120 for two allegedly oversized bags
A family travelling with Ryanair faced unexpected charges after being fined €120 for two cabin bags that were deemed too large to qualify for free carry-on. The incident occurred at the boarding gate, where the passenger, John Butler, claimed staff issued a threat to prevent the family from boarding unless the charges were paid.John, who was travelling with his wife and children from Dublin to Lanzarote, said the bags had been measured prior to the trip and were believed to comply with Ryanair’s requirements. However, staff insisted both bags were oversized and charged a standard gate baggage fee of €60 each to place them in the hold.
Speaking about the experience, John said, “We measured the bags before travelling and thought they were fine.” He added, “This is just a money-making exercise. It’s wrong.”
Ryanair, renowned for its strict baggage policies, responded in a statement: “All customers are clearly informed of their cabin bag policy during booking. Two of these bags exceeded the permitted size and they were correctly charged a standard gate baggage fee (€60) to place their oversized bags in the hold.”
John has since filed a formal complaint with Ryanair, questioning the fairness of their baggage policy and how the situation was handled.
The airline allows passengers to bring one small personal item, such as a handbag or small backpack, free of charge. Larger bags must either be checked into the hold or brought on board with a priority boarding ticket.
This incident has reignited debate over the fairness of Ryanair’s baggage rules, with some travellers criticising the policies as overly strict, while others argue that the airline’s guidelines are clearly communicated, and customers should prepare accordingly.
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