From that date, ‘Non-Priority’ customers who do not pay a €6-€8 Priority Boarding fee can only take one small bag with them onto the plane.
Currently, ‘Non-Priority’ passengers are allowed to take two bags to gate – though the larger of these, weighing up to 10kg, must be placed in the hold (free of charge) at that point.
From November 1, the 10kg bag can no longer be placed in the hold for free. At the same time, Ryanair will introduce a new, €8-€10 fee for 10kg check-in bags – which must be checked at landside bag drop facilities.
The change is designed to reduce the gate tagging of up to 120 bags per flight, it says – a process that “has been causing delays” to its 25-minute turnarounds.
Ryanair says 60pc of its customers will not be affected by the changes, since 30pc already buy Priority Boarding and 30pc travel with just a single small cabin bag.
Many of the remaining customers will now pay for Priority Boarding (which is capped at 95 seats per flight) or travel without the 10kg bag, it believes.
Others will be able to save money by trimming the contents of their 20kg checked bags (still charged from €25) to avail of the lower €8 rate for 10kg bags, it adds.
“We don’t expect to make more money” from the change, Ryanair says.
Size allowances for free, small carry-on bags will also be increased from 35 x 20 x 20cm to 40 x 20 x 25cm as part of the new policy – a rise of some 40pc in volume. These bags must still fit under seats, however.
The new policy follows a change earlier this year that saw ‘Non-Priority’ customers required to check larger, 10kg carry-on bags into the hold, without charge.
Months after introducing the new regime, Ryanair increased its Priority Boarding fees from a standard €5 to as high as €8 per flight depending on the route and how the add-on is booked.
Other recent changes include:
- Cutting its free check-in window to 48 hours
- Doubling the price of standard seat selection from €2 to €4
- Raising the lead-in cost of extra legroom seats from €11 to €15 per flight, and front seats (Rows 2-5) to €13.01
- Changing Priority Boarding to a standalone product no longer included when passengers pay to reserve certain seats
The new baggage policy applies to bookings made from September 1.
