Will Jetstar Follow Ryanair And Ban All Hold Luggage.
Ryanair is considering imposing a £50 surcharge for passengers checking in bags as a first step to banning hold luggage completely.
The no-frills carrier wants to lower airport costs by a third by limiting travellers to carry-on luggage, removing the need for baggage check-in facilities and handling and reducing security requirements.
The airline, which carries more than 12 million British passengers a year, has already cut its maximum hold baggage allowance to 15kg per passenger, the smallest in the aviation industry. Its charges for excess baggage, £4.50 per kilogram, are the highest.
Michael O'Leary, the chief executive, said yesterday that he was considering the abolition of the free hold baggage allowance within the next 12 months.
Instead, anyone with a suitcase or holdall would be charged per item, possibly £50.
"We want to get rid of hold baggage. It's one of the biggest costs we have," he went on. "The average stay of our passengers is less than two days so the overwhelming majority don't need big bags.
"If people feel they must take a lot of luggage, they can fly with our higher-fare competitors. If they want to fly round Europe with us for £5 or £10, they will have to do it Ryanair's way."
Passengers would buy their ticket online and print out their own boarding card. At the airport, they would go straight to their departure gate without the need for checking in by staff.
Mr O'Leary said the savings from becoming a hand luggage-only airline could be £5 a passenger. To accelerate the process, the operator might couple its penalties for hold baggage with £5 "rewards" for travellers with nothing to check in.
He accepted that the policy would dent Ryanair's appeal in the family holiday market but insisted that this was a small segment of the airline's business.
The measures are also likely to alienate people travelling on shopping trips or golf tours, or wanting to transport presents over Christmas.
The Air Users' Council said the proposals would have a varied impact.
A spokesman said: "If it led to lower fares, this could be good news for people on weekend breaks. But it would make life difficult for families or those on long holidays, who might be forced on to more expensive services."
According to Ryanair, "well over 50 per cent" of its passengers already travel without hold baggage, a proportion that is rising.
The company has just increased its cabin allowance from seven kilograms per person to 10. It maintains that its 189-seat aircraft have sufficient overhead locker space to cope if all passengers took up their full allowance.
Easyjet has responded to the move by removing weight restrictions on carry-on luggage from next Monday, while setting a size limit of 55 x 40 x 20 cm.
Mr O'Leary, who prides himself on a robust approach to customer service, professed a personal preference for travelling light.
"I could go away for a week and not need much more than a toiletries bag," he said. "Instead of packing a hair-drier, why not buy one when you get there?"