Ryanair passenger told to pay £117 or ‘not fly’ at Manchester airport

Several couples have been left fuming after being hit with a €140 (£119.31) baggage fine on a recent flight to Manchester Airport despite buying what they thought were ‘Ryanair approved’ bags .

David C and his partner were flying back to Manchester from Palma Majorca Airport in Spain when they were hit with the unexpected fee, even though they had paid extra to get specially designed bags to meet the airline’s size restrictions.

The pair, who were enjoying a relaxing break in Mallorca, were confronted by what they described as unhelpful and disgruntled Ryanair staff at the boarding gate at Palma Airport. “We were asked to go off the line and put one of our new 9kg 20cm bags into the metal measuring frame,” David recounted. They were then told by the gate agent that their bags were too big, the Mirror reports.

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The Cheshire couple were dismayed when they were told they would each have to pay €70.00 (£59.65) for their bags, with the member of staff suggesting they would probably pay because they “probably want to be on the flight”.

David quoted the staff member as saying: “Nineteen years in the business and I know when a bag is oversized. I can see it from a mile away… Pay or don’t fly’.

Having previously passed through Manchester Airport without a problem at the start of his holiday, David found the remarks “stressful and totally unnecessary”. He complained: “We had no choice as the flight was closing at this stage but to hand them a debit card and pay €140.00. I have never felt so intimidated. It ruined our day.”

Adding to their frustration, the couple spotted a Ryanair crew member in a dispute with another pair over suitcases that had an expandable center section, causing them to not fit through the airline’s baggage checker. After taking some clothes out of their bags and carrying them, the other couple were allowed to board the plane without any problems.

Once airborne, the crew announced that there were no carts on board, meaning that no food, drink, or even water would be available for the duration of the flight. David told how a passenger suffering from a headache was given water from a sink in the plane’s lavatory.

“I will do everything I can to avoid Ryanair in the future,” said David.

A Ryanair spokesman replied: “These passengers booked a priority fare on this flight from Palma to Manchester (May 24) which allowed them to carry one small personal bag and 10kg hand luggage each on board. Because their carry-on luggage exceeded the allowances. size, they were correctly charged a standard gate bag fee of €69.99 by the third party agent at Palma Airport to hold their oversized bags.”

Whether there is an inconsistency in the restrictions at different airports remains uncertain, but David certainly felt that this was the case. “Their attitude suggests we need them more than they need us…Unsuspecting customers should be warned and book elsewhere if they can,” David concluded.

Ryanair’s cabin baggage policy is as follows:.

“All our fares include a small personal carry-on bag, such as a handbag or laptop bag (40x20x25cm), which must fit under the seat in front of you. If you need additional baggage, there are different options available to you. 1: Cabin Baggage: Priority and 2 Hand Bags: This allows you to carry one small personal bag (40x20x25cm), which must fit under the seat in front and a 10kg (55x40x20cm) bag on board to be stored in the overhead locker also allows you to board the plane first using the priority boarding queue at the gate.”

David purchased a COOLIFE 55X40X20cm cabin suitcase from Amazon which was advertised as ‘Ryanair approved’ and supported by numerous customer reviews stating its use on Ryanair flights.

COOLIFE has been contacted for a response.