Ryanair Weight and Balance Issues?
I had the misfortune tonight to fly Ryanair from EGSS to LEMG. I see they have reduced their baggage allowance from the normal 20kg to 15kg per passenger and this does not seem simply to be a way of squeezing out a little extra cash as they are charging a penal amount (£14) per extra kilo. Hand luggage is strictly restricted to 10kg.
Once on board, rows two to four inclusive were blocked off even though the flight was full enough that all the remaining seats bar one were occupied. When I queried this, a very pleasant stewardess explained that it was to balance the plane.
Whilst I am aware that Ryanair wants to take extra cash for everything it can (including joke press releases about charging £1 for a pee), I cannot see how cramming people in or restricting their weight allowance achieves this.
So do they have a genuine weight and balance problem that Easyjet and others do not?