Ryanair passengers could soon be allowed to bring an extra cabin bag on board for free under proposed EU rule changes.
File photo of Ryanair passengers boarding a plane(Image: Adam Klis via Getty Images)
Irish passengers flying with Ryanair could soon see a boost to their cabin baggage allowance – without having to pay extra.
Currently, travellers on basic fares are only allowed one small personal item for free, with any additional cabin baggage costing extra.
However, recent changes at EU level have already forced the airline to slightly increase the size of that free bag. Passengers can now bring a personal item measuring up to 40 x 30 x 20cm – a 20% increase from the previous 40 x 20 x 25cm limit.
And now further changes could be on the way. In January, the European Parliament voted overwhelmingly to grant all passengers the right to carry a small case in addition to the complimentary underseat bags currently.
Under the plan, travellers would be entitled to bring one underseat item – such as a handbag, backpack or laptop – along with a second piece of hand luggage with combined dimensions of up to 100cm (length, width and height) and weighing up to 7kg.
If approved, the rules would apply to all flights departing from or arriving into EU airports on EU-based airlines – meaning the vast majority of short haul flights from Ireland would be affected.
However, the proposals still need to be signed off by the European Council before becoming law.
MEPs are also pushing for new rules to make sure children under 12 are seated beside an accompanying adult at no extra charge.
Currently, Ryanair requires an adult travelling with children under 12 to reserve seats to guarantee they can sit together. A maximum of four children for every one adult on the same booking will receive a reserved seat free of charge.
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