100 students mutiny on Ryanair flight over excess hand luggage charge

NFH

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-12378558

alanrowell

Ryanair employee - your bag is too big / heavy / more than one of them
Student - Wah, it's not fair

glenderg

The university of life will educate them.

cgk1

The university of life will educate them.

Where is this University of Life? Most students have jobs, many have families, responsibilities - how do they differ from any other member of the population?

NFH

It doesn't say whether the problem was excess weight or excess size. I have no sympathy with excess size as the baggage needs to fit into the overhead locker, but Ryanair's unusual policy on excess weight is unreasonable and unjustified. If airlines are going to make a fuss about excess weight on hand baggage, then they should do the same on the passengers themselves.

Takecareofthepennies

NFH wrote: »

If airlines are going to make a fuss about excess weight on hand baggage, then they should do the same on the passengers themselves.

Please don't put a flea in O'Leary's ear. I'm 6'4".

jammin_2

It's not mutiny though, is it.

I feel sorry for the English language, I really do.

NFH

Takecareofthepennies wrote: »

Please don't put a flea in O'Leary's ear. I'm 6'4".

Good point. Obviously tall people would have to be given an extra allowance, given that their additional weight is not by choice. Anyway, I'm not advocating such a policy, just pointing out that it is unfair to surcharge excess weight when it's in hand baggage and then to disregard it when it's in excessive body fat.

bagand96

but Ryanair's unusual policy on excess weight is unreasonable and unjustified. If airlines are going to make a fuss about excess weight on hand baggage, then they should do the same on the passengers themselves.

Can't see its unfair as Ryanair's baggage policy is clear and the passngers agreed to it. Unusual? Most definately not; hand baggage allowances:

Ryanair: 10kg
Jet2: 10kg
Monarch: 10kg
Thomson: 5kg
Thomas Cook: 5kg
Virgin Atlantic: 6kg
Emirates: 7kg
Singapore Airlines: 7kg
BA: none specified but you must be able to lift it into the overhead bin
easyJet: no weight limit, thats unusual!

I think the issue here is it is very rarely weighed, especially with online check-in as weighing facilities rarely exist at the gate. However, for years I have had hand baggage weighed at check-in, especially with charter airlines. But the allowance is 10kgs, simple. If they choose to weigh, they can, they have made the allowance clear!

Pollycat

NFH wrote: »

It doesn't say whether the problem was excess weight or excess size. I have no sympathy with excess size as the baggage needs to fit into the overhead locker, but Ryanair's unusual policy on excess weight is unreasonable and unjustified. If airlines are going to make a fuss about excess weight on hand baggage, then they should do the same on the passengers themselves.

There's a statement on the Ryanair website that DOES say the students were:
"required to pay a gate bag fee for outsized luggage."

The dimensions of cabin baggage is easy to find on ther website and if the bags were too big, it's only right that they should be asked to pay the fee (which is also published on the website).

Although (assuming that they were on the return journey - Lanzarote - Belgium) I do wonder if they were asked to pay the extra on the outbound flight.

NFH

I see that Ryanair's hand baggage size allowance is only 55cm x 40cm x 20cm compared to the industry standard IATA size, 56cm x 45cm x 25cm, used by airlines such as British Airways and Easyjet. Given that the IATA size is designed to fit in standard aircraft overhead lockers, it seems strange that Ryanair impose a smaller size. It therefore doesn't surprise me that passengers get caught out. Perhaps Ryanair do this in order to generate additional revenue rather than for any practical reason.