A RYANAIR passenger has vowed to do everything he can to avoid the airline in the future, after he was charged more than £100 despite flying with the correct sized luggage.
David C and his wife were said to be furious after being fined for oversized luggage on their return flight from Majorca to Manchester last month.
The pair had paid for specific bags that were Ryanair hand luggage compliant to prevent them from having to worry about paying extra at the airport.
The bags they selected were the Coolife cabin suitcases, which are 55x40x20cm in size, matching the 10kg bags the airline permits people to have on board.
The bags are listed online as being “Ryanair approved” and on Amazon several passengers claim to have taken the suitcases on board the airline’s planes without any problems.
However, ahead of their return flight, airline staff at Majorca Airport requested that they place the cases in the size checkers.
The couple were then informed that their cases were over the size limit and they were forced to fork out €69.99 each, totalling €139.98 (£119).
The couple protested, but were told they had to pay, or miss their flight.
David said he felt intimidated by the staff members who demanded they pay up and that he would try his best to not fly with Ryanair again.
He told the Mirror: “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 spoilt our day.
“I’ll do everything I can to avoid Ryanair in the future.
“Their attitude suggests that we need them more than they need us… Unsuspecting customers should be forewarned and book elsewhere, if they can.”
The couple’s journey was then made worse on the journey home when they were told there was no trolley service, food, drinks or even water.
David also claimed that one passenger, who was feeling unwell, was given tap water from the plane’s bathroom.
A spokesperson for Ryanair said that the pair had been “correctly” charged for their luggage, which they were adamant was over the size limits.
They said: “These passengers booked a priority fare for this flight from Palma to Manchester (24 May), which allowed each of them to carry a small personal bag and a 10kg cabin bag onboard.
Hand luggage rules for UK airlines
We’ve rounded up how much hand luggage you can take on UK airlines when booking their most basic fare.
Ryanair
One personal bag measuring no more than 40cm x 20cm x 25cm
EasyJet
One personal bag measuring no larger than 45cm x 36cm x 20cm
Jet2
One personal item that fits underneath the seat in front and one cabin bag no larger than 56cm x 45cm x 25cm weighing up to 10kg
TUI
One personal item that its underneath the seat in front and one cabin bag no larger than 55cm x 40cm x 20cm weighing up to 10kg
British Airways
One personal bag no larger than 40cm x 30cm x 15cm and one cabin bag no larger than 56cm x 45cm 25cm weighing up to 23kg
Virgin Atlantic
One personal item that fits underneath the seat in front and one cabin bag no larger than 56cm x 36cm x 23cm weighing up to 10kg
“As their cabin bags exceeded the permitted size, they were correctly charged a standard gate baggage fee of €69.99 by the third-party gate agent at Palma Airport to place their oversized bags in the hold.”
Passengers flying with Ryanair are entitled to a small personal bag, sized 40x20x25cm that must fit under the seat in front of them.
However, if they pay for a priority seat, they can also bring a 10kg suitcase on board as well, provided it’s within the size limits of 55x40x20cm.
This has to be stored in the overhead bins during the flight.
Priority passengers are also permitted to board first using the priority boarding queues.
Sun Travel has contacted Ryanair for further comment.
Read more on the Scottish Sun
Meanwhile, this airline is making things better for passengers with a new luggage feature.
And these airlines are cracking down on passengers flying with hand luggage.