Ryanair Hold Baggage Policy

[A2QFI]

If I understand the new system correctly one now pays £5 at the airport, or £2.50 on line, to check in a 20kg case? So far so good. The rules seem to say that if I turn up with 18kg and my wife has 22Kg she has to pay excess charges as we are not allowed to "pool" our allowances even while travelling together. This appears to be simple bl**dy mindedness or have I missed something? I would be happy to delay the whole check-in procedure to open and re-pack the luggage to 20kg per piece but why should I have to? Can someone from FR explain or justify this policy, please?

[EI-CFC]

I'm not from FR, but why would they have to "justify" it?

They've made a commercial desicion to a) charge per checked bag (with reduced cost for those who pay at time of booking) and b) limit the baggage allowange to 20kg each. They've also made it policy that nothing beyond that is allowed on free - and no pooling is allowed.

For Ryanair, excess baggage is a revenue stream, and as a business they're trying to maximise that revenue stream.

They lay their T&C's out fairly clearly, and people still purchase the tickets so the majority of passengers must feel happy enough to accept those conditions - including the baggage limitations.

[OpsSix]

When I worked for FR 2 years ago the baggage allowance was 15kg. We used to pool bags together and even back then they started saying not to do it so it's been on the cards.

Where theres money to be made, they'll make it.

[Selfloading]

Well as you know what the situation is there should not be a problem.

[OpsSix]

Well as you know what the situation is there should not be a problem.

Who is that aimed for?

[jack_essex]

Although the new terms and conditions do seem 'strange', they are extremely clear to read (and hard to miss) when you are booking a flight.
When you are in the final stage of booking your flight you have to accept the T&C. Just above this it has the main rules and regualtions.
- Checked in baggage - 20kg per person (a baggage fee applies for each item of checked baggage) - no sharing of baggage allowance permitted (no infant allowance)
- N.B. Passengers who paid for their reservation before the 16th March 2006 the checked baggage allowance is 15kg per person (no infant allowance)
- Excess Baggage Charged at £5.50/€8 per kilo or local currency equivalent.
It is the passengers fault when they do not read the T&C. This was not aimed at anyone I was just saying.

[A2QFI]

Thanks all. I understand the system what I don't understand is why it is the system! If my wife and I were to travel with 2 x 20kgs of luggage, why should FR be bothered if it is split 25 kg and 15kg? I am quite happy to re-pack at the check in to get the figures right to suit him but why is it necessary? The aircraft will carry our 40kg however it is divided up between two cases, so long as we have paid to check it in.

[Selfloading]

Anything Ryanair do is to make money but the thing to to is make sure you fully equip yourself with the facts, and then you can do some great travelling dirt cheap. Me and Mrs Selfloading are off to Turin next week for a couple of days, we will pack two bags 10kg each do the online check in and have a trip to Italy for less than £18 each return inc taxes and charges, how can anyone say thats a bad deal.

[Desert Diner]

I have been qued up a few times on Ryannair flights where the check in girls allowed pax to re-adjust their luggage to make the weight limit.

Awfuly nice of them to help out their customers. Bloody awful for the rest of us SLF waiting even longer to check in.

As for the policy, if I buy a an £18 ticket, I wouldn't mind paying an extra £2.50 or £5.00 to check in my luggage. Now if I paid £180 for that ticket, it would be a different story.

[A2QFI]

Precisely my point, from earlier! Repacking takes time and is inconvenient for everyone involved, MOL doesn't make any extra money out of it, 2 people still get to move 40 Kgs of luggae from A to B, so what is the point?

[Selfloading]

MOL never does anything without a reason although i cant see what it is this time, maybe its just to try to encourage us to only bring carry on luggage. I must admit that with the advantages of online check in as well i try to limit myself to carry on if i can.

[XSBaggage]

In the summer PIK, GRO, BVA (particularly the first two) look like the site of some bizzarre game show, with SLF scattered all over the floor madly packing and repacking luggage for FR's financial gain. Maybe this summer with the clampdown on "pooling" it will be worse. Still, if you know the rules and choose to give them your business dont worry about it. Just grab a £10 cold drink and a spot with a good view and watch the "fun"!

XSB

PS I do think it is an indignity to ask ones customers to indulge in such behaviour, but then again it does say it in their terms and conditions, however unreasonable you may feel those to be.

[OpsSix]

I worked on FR check in for 2 years and some of the rules FR come up with do nothing to help the check in process itself.
To have all these pax unpacking and repacking just holds everything up and you only get 1 hour 20 to check in 189 between 2 anyway. I can see this ruling holding up check in and delaying flights.

The best rule (that was dumped from the off) was we had to call all pax by their sirnames and not sir or madam.
We objected saying that we couldn't pronounce half of them and it would more than likely offend people.
The reply was if you can't pronounce it then say sir or madam. However if you were 'caught' saying sir or madam you were hauled in over it :rolleyes: