Bad news: Ryanair cancels free 10 kg cabin bag, requires extra fee now. Wizz Air joins too!

Yesterday was a sad day in the history of low cost traveling.

The leader of low cost airlines in Europe Ryanair announced they are changing they baggage rules – and it is not a good change for passengers.

Ryanair removes the free 10 kg cabin bag and will allow only one small carry-on bag onboard.

Previously all passengers were entitled to 10 kg cabin bag up to 55 cm and one other smaller bag up to 35 cm.

Now only the smaller bag is included with your ticket, the allowed size has been slightly increased to 40 x 20 x 25cm.

This small bag must fit under the seat in front of you (leaving you with no legspace).

If you want to travel with the 10 kg cabin bag, you must purchase the Priority Boarding for €6 and you can take it onboard or you can pay €8 and leave your 10 kg cabin bag at the check-in desk. You will then collect it after arrival on the luggage belt.

The amount of people who can purchase the Priority Boarding and take the 10 kg bag with them onboard will be limited at 95 passengers in each flight, after that you will have to pay €8 and check-in your bag.

There are almost 200 passengers on each flight, so this means only half of the passengers will be able to purchase this extra option.

You can still check-in also bigger 20 kg bag for €25 per one-way flight, this remained unchanged.

This new baggage rule comes into effect on 1st November 2018 and applies also for the tickets purchased before this change was announced.

Ryanair presents this change as a benefit for passengers as usual, but it’s obviously just another gimmick to get more money from its customers.

The Irish airline changed the baggage rules just 10 months ago, when it forced customers to hand-in their cabin bag to the staff when boarding at the gate, disallowing them to take it onboard unless they paid €6 extra for Priority boarding.

Current change means even more strict approach and it will be now almost impossible to travel with the airline without paying extra for additional services and fees.

To make the matter worse, the competitor Wizz Air announced similar change just 1 day after Ryanair.

Wizz Air will now require you to check in your 10 kg cabin bag at the check-in desk free of charge, unless you purchase Wizz Priority.

Only passengers with Wizz Priority will be allowed to take the 10 kg bag onboard, other travelers are allowed only to small cabin bag (40 x 30 x 18 cm).

This is indeed a sad day for all fans of low cost traveling and apparent way to increase the revenue from Ryanair and Wizz Air.

Here’s a FAQ from the official Ryanair’s website with more details about the new baggage policy:

1.Why is Ryanair changing its carry-on bag policy?

We are trying to eliminate gate bags and cut boarding gate/flight delays.

2.When is this new policy coming into effect?

The new policy will go live at boarding gates on/after 1 Nov 2018 and for bookings made after 1 Sept 2018.

3.How is this different from the previous carry-on bag policy?

Previously, all non-priority customers could bring 1 (small) carry-on bag and 1 bigger (wheelie) bag free of charge. 

The bigger bag was tagged at the gate and put in the hold (for free). This led to the tagging of up to 120 free gate bags which  caused delays to 25min turnarounds.

From November, non-priority customers can only bring 1 free (small) carry-on bag – there will be no free gate bags.

Only priority customers can continue to bring two free bags. (1 small carry-on + 1 wheelie bag).

4. What about customers who have already booked flights before 1 September for travel on/after 1 Nov?

The new bag policy will apply to all travel on/after 1 November.

Non-priority customers who booked flights before 1 September (for travel after 1 Nov) can either add Priority Boarding for €/£8* or a 10kg bag for €/£10* or they may cancel their booking for a full refund.

*(price when added after booking)

5. What are the small bag dimensions?

We have increased the size of the free small carry-on bag by over 40% from 35 x 20 x 20cm (14,000 cm³) to 40 x 20 x 25cm (20,000 cm³).

We have almost doubled the size of our small bag sizer from 35 x 20 x 20cm (14,000 cm³) to 42 x 20 x 30 cm (25,200 cm³) to allow carry-on bags that are considerably (25%) larger than our permitted small bag dimensions. (See diagram)

 6. What happens if my ‘small’ bag doesn’t fit in the sizer?

If non-priority customers’ 1 free small bag doesn’t fit in the new sizer then their bag is more than 25% bigger than their small bag allowance.  They will pay a gate bag fee of €25 and their bag will be tagged and placed in the hold. (See point 5)

 7. Have you increased the price of Priority Boarding as part of this?

No, Priority Boarding which costs just €/£6 is unchanged.

 8. Why would anybody pay €/£8 to check in a 10kg bag when they can buy Priority Boarding for €/£6?

1.Because customers may switch to check in a 10kg bag for €/£8 instead of a 20kg bag for €/£25

2. Because some customers don’t want to carry a bigger bag through airport security

9. Is this new policy about reducing delays or making more money?

It’s all about reducing flight delays.

We also believe that bigger bags is a service customers should pay for when our average fare is under €40.

We don’t expect to make more money. Any increase in Priority Boarding and 10kg check bags will be offset by customers switching down from the current 20kg checked bag (€/£25) to the cheaper €/£8 10kg checked bag and many others will travel with just a small (free) bag.

10. How can you say 60% of customers will not be impacted?

30% of customers already buy Priority Boarding and 30% already travel with only 1 (free) small carry-on bag. 

Only 40% of customers are non-priority and bring a 2nd bigger free gate bag. We expect these customers will vary the baggage product they purchase depending on the type of trip they are taking. 

11. Where does the small bag go on board?

Small bags must be able to fit under the seat in front of you.

12. How many wheelie bags can you fit on board?

Approx. 100 wheelie bags will fit in the overhead lockers which more than facilitates all priority passengers.

13. What happens if more than 100 customers want to buy Priority Boarding?

They can’t – Priority Boarding is capped at 95 customers per flight (out of 189 guests).

14. What about infants; can parents still bring an extra changing bag?

Yes, a small (5kg) baby bag may be also carried free of charge by customers traveling with an infant. (Any child under 2 years)

15. What about customers with waivers for medical items?

Medical equipment can still be brought on board free of charge subject to preclearance by our special assistance team.

16.Why don’t you make the 10kg bag free check in, if bags at gates is the problem?

This would only move the problem with gate bag delays from the boarding gate to the bag drop desk.

We don’t want to create long queues for customers at the bag drop desks.

We believe that checked luggage is a service customers will choose to pay for or avoid as they so wish.

17. What happens if a non-priority customer comes to the gate with a wheelie bag and they have not booked it in advance?

They will be charged the gate bag fee of €/£25 and the bag will be placed in the aircraft hold.

18. Is this another sneaky/hidden Ryanair charge?

No, this simplifies our bag policy and improves the boarding gate experience and punctuality for all customers.

Ryanair air fares have been lowered by 4% again this year so all our customers are saving. All optional extras are visible and transparent on our website.  Ryanair has no hidden extras – all optional services/fees are brought to customers attention and agreed prior to booking.

19. How much extra will you make from this policy?

– Nothing

– We expect more customers will switch from the current €/£25 checked bags to this cheaper €/£8 checked bags

– This revenue loss will outweigh more customers switching to priority boarding which is capped on each flight.

– More non-priority guests will travel choose to with 1 free (small) carry-on bag

The main objective of this policy change is to improve punctuality and reduce boarding gate delays.