Ryanair could change its luggage policy again

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Airline CEO Michael O'Leary said it is putting up to 120 gate bags in the hold
He explained this is creating a handling issue - especially at peak flying periods
Ryanair brought in a new system for passengers' luggage earlier this year

Published: 08:46 EST, 23 May 2018 | Updated: 06:29 EST, 24 May 2018

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Ryanair passengers may face more additional charges when they fly as the airline warns that it could change its luggage policy yet again.

The revelation comes after the Irish-based carrier revealed that it makes £5million a day in fees from additional charges.

Airline CEO Michael O'Leary says letting passengers check cabin bags at the gate is causing chaos and a 'handling issue' on flights.

Currently every passenger can turn up to the gate with two carry-on bags, but unless they've paid a £5 'priority boarding' fee, the larger of the bags is transferred to the hold, at no extra cost.

Mr O'Leary says this policy is causing havoc on flights where upwards of 100 bags are checked at the gate for free - and says it may change. Although he didn't get to specifics, passengers could be charged for checking luggage at the gate.

Scroll down for video

Airline CEO Michael O'Leary says letting passengers check cabin bags that are too large at the gate is causing chaos and a 'handling issue' on flights

RYANAIR'S FEES IN FULL

Extra legroom seats (row 1, 2 and 16-17) - €15.00 / £15.00

Front seats (rows 2 - 5) - €13.01 / £13.01

Standard Seats (rows 6-15 and 18-33) - €4.00 / £4.00

Boarding card re-issue fee - €20 / £20

Priority boarding from (per person/per one way flight) - €5.00 / £5.00

Airport check-in fee - €55 / £55

Infant fee - €25 / £25 (per infant/per one way flight - must be under two years for both outbound and return flight)

Infant/child equipment (car, booster, travel cot) - €15 / £15 online and €25 / £25 at the airport

Bike - €60 / £60 online and €75 / £75 at the airport

Large sports item - €55 / £55 online and €65 / £65 at the airport

Sports equipment - €35 / £35 online and €40 / £40 at the airport

Ski equipment - €45 / £45 online and €50 / £50 at the airport

Golf clubs - €35 / £35 online and €40 / £40 at the airport

Musical instrument - €55 / £55 online and €65 / £65 at the airport

Flight change fees - from €35 - €65 online and €50 - €95 at the airport

Name change fee per passenger - €115 / £115 online and €160 / £160 at the airport

Government tax refund administration fee per passenger - €20 / £17

Booking fee at the airport - €20 / £20

Therapeutic oxygen reservation fee - €55 / £55

Missed departure fee - €100 / £100

Hold fare fee - €3.00/£3.00

Speaking to investors during a video presentation, Mr O'Leary said: '[The new baggage policy] is creating a handling issue, particularly at peak periods: bank holiday weekends, summer peak periods. There are many flights where we're now having to put 100, 120 gate bags free of charge into the hold, so if that continues to build, it's something we may have to look at again.

'But there's no doubt both the feedback from the cabin crew and from customers is that nobody is struggling to find space on board in the bins or under the seats when they board the aircraft, and that's good.'

Ryanair announced its new luggage policy in January, saying it would reduce delays caused by passengers struggling to fit wheelie bags into overhead lockers.

It was revealed that Ryanair rakes in £5million a day from customers paying extra fees in addition to standard air fares

THE WACKY RYANAIR IDEAS THAT NEVER FLEW

Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary has suggested a number of radical ideas over the years, with many of them never coming to fruition. Here's a selection of some of his wackier non-starters...

OBESE TAX: In 2009 Ryanair said it was considering an excess weight fee for very large customers after 30,000 people voted in favour of the measure on its website. More than 100,000 passengers gave on-line feedback on various cost-cutting ideas put forward by Ryanair. Almost one in three people polled thought obese and overweight people should be charged more for tickets.

TOILET CHARGE: In 2010 Ryanair announced it was pushing ahead with its controversial idea to start charging for lavatories. It said all onboard toilets would become coin-operated, forcing passengers to pay £1 or one euro. The Irish airline revealed it was also cutting the number of loos, meaning there could only one on planes carrying 189 passengers.

STANDING ROOM ONLY: In 2011 Ryanair said it will introduce ‘standing-room only’ areas on its flights.The low cost carrier announced proposals to install new ‘vertical seats’ on a range of short haul flights. The 'seats', which would allow passengers to be ‘strapped in’ while standing up, drew criticism from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), which raised doubts over whether they would pass safety tests.

IN-FLIGHT PORN: In 2011 boss Michael O’Leary said he hoped to launch an in-flight pay-per-view pornography service for passengers to watch during flights. Passengers would be able to watch erotic content via an app, which would also offer games and gambling opportunities.

It was estimated that the policy was going to cost the Dublin-based carrier up to 50million euros (£45million) each year.

The airline is also set to slash its free-of-charge check-in time from four days to just 48 hours.

This could increase the likelihood of passengers having to find internet connections while abroad to download return-journey boarding passes on their smartphones, because many currently do this at home before setting off.

The new rules come into effect for departures from June 13 but those who have paid an extra £4 for an assigned seat will still be able to check in 60 days in advance.

Meanwhile earlier this week it was revealed that Ryanair rakes in £5million a day from customers paying extra fees in addition to standard air fares.

The £1.75billion in 'ancillary revenues' it made last year came from the likes of baggage charges, priority boarding, reserved seats and car hire.

Michael O'Leary made his comments about a possible new baggage policy during a Q&A with investors

RYANAIR CONTROVERSIES

NOT REFUNDING THE DEAD: In 2013 Ryanair apologised after it refused to refund the ticket of a dead passenger because it said she had died too soon before her flight. Beryl Parsons, 78, was due to fly to the Canary Islands with her son and grandchildren for a holiday in October. But in June, four months before the flight, she was unexpectedly told she only had three weeks to live and died. Her son, Doug, 44, wrote to the budget airline to ask for a refund for his mother’s £230 share of the £1,074 airfares from Stansted to Fuerteventura and included a copy of her death certificate. But it refused because it said Mrs Parsons, who had cancer, had died more than 28 days before the booked flight.

PILOT OUTRAGE: In 2017 Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary reportedly apologised to pilots, offering them incentives to stay with the carrier in a personal letter. O’Leary is said to have asked pilots not to move to rival airlines, promising pay increases, a 'productivity/loyalty bonus' and 'significant improvements' to contracts and career progression. It followed the cancellation of tens of thousands of flights earlier that year because of errors in how pilots were rostered for work, disrupting the travel plans of 700,000 passengers.

The airline credited some of the growth to the success of its dedicated technology team Ryanair Labs, which has worked on its website and app to increase customers' take-up of extra services.

The extra charges on top of airfares now make up 28 per cent of Ryanair's revenue and it said: 'We are well on track to achieve our five year goal of 30 per cent.'

The €2billion of ancillary revenues revealed in the airlines results equates to €5.48million a day or £4.81million.

Ryanair saw full-year revenues and profits rise, despite cancelling over 20,000 flights last year after mismanaging pilots' annual leave.

What exactly IS Ryanair's baggage policy?

Even seasoned fliers find Ryanair's baggage policy confusing, so here's what you need to know.

The point of confusion with the policy centres around the carrier's assertion that every customer is granted a 'two free carry-on bag allowance'.

This needs clarification, because what the airline actually means is that all customers can bring two free carry-on bags with them to the airport and up to the gate, but that the larger of the two bags will be transferred at the gate to the hold.

Unless a 'priority boarding' fee is paid.

Priority Boarding can be purchased at time of flight booking for £5 or £6 on selected routes. It can be added for £6 or £7 on selected routes up to 30 minutes before scheduled departure time on the Ryanair App.