A Ryanair bag-sizer in Dublin Airport
Ryanair staff are paid commission for charging passengers who attempt to travel with oversized bags, the airline has confirmed.
While the airline did not confirm the amount staff receive for enforcing the bag size policy, The Sunday Times reports that one employee said they were paid around €1.50 per oversized bag, with commission capped at about €80 per staff member each month.
The airline said it is “determined to eliminate the scourge of oversized bags” as it confirmed staff are paid commission for identifying and charging passengers for bags that breach the Ryanair bag size rules.
All passengers travelling with Ryanair can bring a “small personal bag” that must fit under the seat in front of them, while they can also pay to avail of the option to bring a 10kg cabin bag that can be stored in the overhead locker or checked baggage.
If a small or 10kg bag does not fit its sizers at the gate, a passenger will have to pay a fee, which varies depending on the route and fare type, to check it into the hold.
A Ryanair bag-sizer in Dublin Airport
Today’s News in 90 Seconds – July 20th
A Ryanair spokesperson said oversized cabin bags “delay boarding and are clearly unfair on the over 99pc of our passengers who comply with our baggage rules”.
“We do pay commission to our agents who identify and charge for oversized bags, but these fees are paid by less than 0.1pc of passengers who don’t comply with our agreed bags rules,” they said.
“Our message to those 0.1pc of passengers is simple; please comply with our generous bag rules or you will be charged at check-in or at the gate. For the 99.9pc of our passengers who comply with our rules we say thank you and keep flying as you have nothing to worry about.”
The airline recently confirmed that it will be increasing the size of the free personal bag all passengers can bring on board from 40 x 25 x 20cm to 40 x 30 x 20cm.
The measurements for a 10kg carry-on will remain at 55 x 40 x 20cm.
It comes as the EU has been looking at changes in air passenger rights, with Ryanair among the airlines implementing the changes.
The airline denied claims that it had adopted a stricter policy for carry-on bags following speculation earlier this year.
According to Ryanair’s bag policy, if a small or 10kg bag does not fit its sizers at the gate, fees for checking it into the hold range from €35.99 to €60, depending on the route and fare type.