Ryanair’s baggage policy has long been a point of contention for travelers across Europe.

With strict limits on free carry-on items and added fees for larger bags, the airline says it’s keeping costs low and flights on time.

But, critics argue it’s confusing and costly for passengers.

So, what are Ryanair’s baggage rules? Do they work, why are they in place, and what do they mean for travelers?

Frequent flyer Conor Wilkinson, who lives in Madrid, told Lunchtime Live that he was fined on a return flight for a bag that had previously been accepted with no issue.

“I would fly maybe almost every month, mostly between Spain and Ireland, and on Wednesday there I was flying from Dublin to Barcelona with my usual hand luggage bag,” he said.

“They stopped me and asked me to put it in the sizer; it fitted, if barely anything it was a couple of millimetres over.

“I’ve been using this same suitcase for about two years absolutely no problem and had to pay €75 basically to check it in.”

Listeners called into the show to relay similar experiences, while Mr Wilkinson said that a €75 fine for a suitcase that was only slightly too big seemed “a bit excessive”.

Ryanair response

The airline said in a statement that their baggage policy remains unchanged.

“There has been no change to our bag policy or agreed bag dimensions for many years,” a spokesperson for Ryanair said.

“Our bag policy is simple; if it fits in our bag sizer, which is bigger than our agreed dimensions, it gets on free of charge.

“If it doesn’t fit within our sizers, it will get charged for.

There is a very simple solution to this issue, which is that passengers simply comply with their agreement of the time of booking, and travel with bags that fit or are smaller than our agreed bag dimensions.”

Main image: Passengers wait in the terminal at Dublin Aiport with a Ryanair flight outside. Image: Alamy