Ryanair checked-in baggage fee increase targets families
By Darren Cronian on Thursday, April 8th, 2010

I have never been a huge fan of Ryanair primarily because of how they have treated consumers in the past. The announcement that the “low cost” airline is to increase the checked-in baggage fee from €15 each way to €20 during July and August has annoyed some Travel Rants readers.

Ryanair checked in baggage fee increase targets families

Travelling light as a solo traveller

Unless I had no other option, I would choose not fly with Ryanair, but, if I did, then, I would make the decision to travel light to avoid these fees. As a solo traveller that is fine, but this hike affects families who can only go on holiday during the peak period, in the school holidays.

It might be a good opportunity to compare the price of a flight with Ryanair over other airlines, you might be surprised. They are so many different fees to bear in mind when booking a flight nowadays that it is becoming ridiculous.

Fee increase comes into force

Passengers who have booked their July and August flight prior to midnight, 7 April, will not be affected by the baggage check-in increase and from 1 September the checked-in bag fee will return to its current rate, according to the Ryanair website.

Airlines profiteering from peak season

Is this just another example of a so called low cost airline taking advantage and profiteering during a peak travel period? I would be interested to read your comments, especially from families who will be the most affected by this price hike.


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15 responses to “Ryanair checked-in baggage fee increase targets families”

Dean | 9 April, 2010 at 10:27 am

Hi Darren

I heard their spokesman, Darren McNamara on the radio yesterday. He also confirmed they were going to remove two toilets from their planes, add 6 extra seats and start charging people £1 to use the one toilet left on the plane. He said this would happen in the next 12 months

They really couldn’t care about the customer at all. Add this to the rip off prices for food and drink and surely at some point people must start to turn against them?

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Darren Cronian | 9 April, 2010 at 10:41 am

@ Dean

Where people have a choice they should compare their Ryanair flight with another airline and compare like-for-like, and that includes airport transfers too, everything. You don’t have to fly with them, and hopefully more passengers will start to realise that the “low cost” airlines aren’t really that cheap anymore.

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Jenny | 9 April, 2010 at 11:19 am

Families are once again being targeted because it is the peak season for travelling. It is time we as passengers realised that booking with Ryanair is not the low cost option it portrays.

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Darren Cronian | 9 April, 2010 at 11:28 am

@ Jenny

It is another example of Ryanair profiteering from passengers during the busiest time of the year. Why can’t they urge passengers to travel light at other times of the year? Why July & August. Also, most people travelling in July and August I suspect are going on a week or two weeks holiday, not a long weekend trip!

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Zoe | 9 April, 2010 at 11:35 am

I couldn’t agree more with the sentiments echoed above but it does beg the question, why are they so popular?

Personally, I’m happy to travel with Ryanair because I know I get what I pay for (the same goes from Primark, Asda value tea bags and youth hostels). However, if I book with BA, Lufthansa etc… on the same routing and perhaps pay more, will I even get to fly at all at the moment? I can’t imagine Ryanair allowing its staff to strike, surely Mr O’Leary would dangle them off the wing by their ankles at 20,000 feet if they so much as dreamt of it!

Ryanair seems to be very much about making choices-choose to take luggage, choose to buy a sandwich and yes, choose to go to the loo. It won’t be long before people are pissing in cups and handing them to the hostess to dispose of.

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Darren Cronian | 9 April, 2010 at 11:43 am

@ Zoe

It’s a good question, and I guess you’ve answered it really. It’s about choice. I don’t fly with them if I can avoid it. On all “low cost” airlines I don’t choose to take hand luggage, I don’t buy their lottery tickets; I don’t buy their food and drink.

With the likes of BA, I suspect that you don’t have that choice to reduce the price of your flight.

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Dennis Markham | 9 April, 2010 at 12:43 pm

Hopefully the customers will turn against the airline, its the only way to make them take notice, wouldnt it be a shame if they went bust??? NOT.

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Adelina trapani | 9 April, 2010 at 12:47 pm

We fly Ryanair out of Brussels or Düsseldorf and yes most of the time they are (for à family of 4) much much cheaper than any other airline flying out of Amsterdam or Brussels. Even if u pay for luggage etc.

We also love how easy it is flying out of small airports and paying less for parking. I love being able to fly one ways renting à car at destination and flying back from another airport.

All in all if they keep up being on time, not loosing my luggage and providing à straight forward experience we will continue flying ryanair.

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Rob | 9 April, 2010 at 12:50 pm

This does seem a bit harsh as, lets face it, many people travelling in the high summer won’t be able to choose to travel with hand luggage only.

People are not stupid though and most will compare flights for TOTAL price as well as convenience etc.

I guess one of the many reasons for Ryanair’s success so far is that people are prepared to put up with a few hours of an “unpleasant” flight if that gives them more money to enjoy their holiday afterwards.

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Darren Cronian | 9 April, 2010 at 1:05 pm

@ Adelina

Thanks for the comment, it is good to hear also from passengers that enjoy the Ryanair experience.

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Nick | 9 April, 2010 at 1:17 pm

I fly Ryanair when I have no other choice.. only when I have no other choice. As for Ryanair they do what the say… you pay a little and if you want nothing else then thats all you pay. Ryanair are let down when you want more.

I love this little tool
http://www.britishairways.com/travel/value-calculator/public/en_gb

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Terri P | 9 April, 2010 at 1:54 pm

I think the fundamental problem is that low-cost airlines are trying to offer an expensive “product” for too low a price, and now they are struggling. Air travel is expensive, and selling tickets for a bargain price can only work for so long. Taking out the toilets seems a little drastic to me though.

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Jeremy | 9 April, 2010 at 11:28 pm

Nice tool Nick. We use Ryanair because they offer good value for money. My partner and I travel on long weekend breaks rather than a week or fortnight holiday. We would rather spend the money on a really nice hotel, rather than the flight.

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Darren Cronian | 9 April, 2010 at 11:33 pm

@ Nick

Yes, thanks for the link, interesting tool that I’ve bookmarked.

@ Jeremy

Thanks for leaving the comment, its good to hear from consumers on why they enjoy flying with Ryanair. It helps give a more balanced view.

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Lynda | 14 April, 2010 at 12:57 pm

Darren

The truth is Ryanair don’t want families travelling with them, too much trouble. They want young fit people who travel with a toothbrush and one change of undies and who hare up the plane steps, sit down and shut up so as to keep their slots and avoid delays..

Also I understand that Ryanair don’t employ their cabin crew direct as they use an agency, so that in the event of industrial action the agency would simply send substitute cabin crew, of whom there is a wait-list of wannabes. Don’t about flight deck crew though.

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