Ryanair passengers were left ‘crying and distressed’ after being forced to pay £75 for luggage ‘as part of a money-making scheme’.
One Ryanair passenger says she was fined £75 because the wheels on her suitcase were poking out of the airline’s bag sizer – even after she paid extra to take it on board.
Gilly Bachelor was flying from Birmingham Airport to Malaga in Spain when she was stopped at the boarding gate.
The 55-year-old said she was told she couldn’t bring the bag on board despite paying extra for both the priority and two cabin bags options.
Gilly alleges she was fined an extra £75 to take the bag on board, on top of the £125 flight, during the ‘stressful’ episode.
Another couple were reportedly told to pay £150 for two suitcases reportedly not complying with size rules.
Lisa Sheasby, 58, and her husband Fabio Lima, 49, claim they were ‘targeted in a money-making exercise’.
Lisa told BirminghamLive: ‘Despite using a branded suitcase specifically designed to meet Ryanair’s measurements, I was forced to pay £75 at the gate… at least 15 people were also targeted, some left crying and distressed.’
Gilly Bachelor says she was charged £75 due to her luggage size
The wheels on Gilly’s suitcase were poking out of the airline’s bag sizer
Meanwhile Gilly, from Brewood, near Cannock, Staffs, told What’s The Jam: ‘I’ve taken that bag on lots of flights with no problem, just not Ryanair.
‘As we were boarding, a gentleman was checking all the bags.
‘They put it in the sizer, and the issue was with the wheels, and that it was slightly too wide.
‘I travel a lot myself, so I’m usually pretty relaxed, and clearly this caught me out this time.’
Gilly, who is a travel agency owner, claims a member of staff was checking every bag as passengers boarded the aircraft, with at least 20 pulled aside and fined.
She added: ‘Ryanair is a very low-cost airline, so they operate to tight margins and will generate extra revenue wherever they can.
‘I also heard that Ryanair staff receive an incentive for every bag they flag as oversized. I checked, and it’s true, but it’s only a small portion of the fine.
‘Even so, it’s clearly enough to keep staff vigilant and enforce the rules strictly. At least 20 people were caught out. Ryanair gets a lot of criticism, but the rules are clear and easy to follow.
The same thing happened to other passengers onboard the flight
The incident took place at Birmingham Airport
‘I used them outbound because the timing worked, but flew home with easyJet and my bag was fully compliant, as it would have been with Jet2.’
Gilly added a word of caution: ‘My advice is to check the size rules carefully and invest in a compliant bag.
‘It’s much less stressful than being caught at the gate and paying a fine.’
Regarding Lisa’s flight, a statement from Ryanair said: ‘This passenger and her travelling companion booked Regular Fare tickets for this flight from Birmingham to Verona (28 Dec), which allowed them to each carry a small personal bag and 10kg cabin bag onboard.
‘As their cabin bags exceeded the permitted size, they were correctly required to pay a standard gate baggage fee (£75) by the gate agent at Birmingham Airport.’
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Ryanair passengers left ‘crying and distressed’ after being forced to pay £75 for luggage ‘as part of a money-making scheme’