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Ryanair admits paying commission to staff who charge for oversized bags
CEO Michael O’Leary has defended the commission, saying it helps enforce baggage rules and improve boarding efficiency
Ryanair has confirmed that its cabin staff receive around €1.50 each time they catch a passenger trying to board with an oversized bag. The company says this incentive helps them “eliminate the scourge of oversized bags” and uphold the airline’s strict baggage policy.
Passengers who break the rules are charged a hefty fee and Ryanair’s CEO, Michael O’Leary, says the airline is even considering increasing the commission to discourage rule-breakers.
“That’s one of the reasons we are so aggressive about eliminating the scourge of passengers with excess baggage,” he said this week.
Mr O’Leary went on to describe what he believes are typical baggage offenders:
“One of the things that irritates our passengers most is the one or two people who show up with a rucksack claiming that it fits in the sizer. If it doesn’t fit in the sizer, it’s not getting on.”
According to him, more than 99.9% of customers follow the rules and “the tiny minority who don’t will pay the fees.”
Ryanair allows every traveller to bring a small personal bag, with the option to pay for a 10kg carry-on or checked luggage. If a bag fails to fit in the box at the gate, passengers face charges from €36 to €60, depending on the route and fare purchased.
A company spokesperson emphasised that oversized cabin bags “delay boarding and are clearly unfair on the over 99% of our passengers who comply with our baggage rules.”
“Our message to those 0.1% of passengers is simple: please comply with our generous bag rules or you will be charged at check-in or at the gate. For the 99.9% of our passengers who comply with our rules, we say thank you and keep flying as you have nothing to worry about,” the spokesperson added.
The airline has also slightly increased the maximum size allowed for personal bags included in the basic fare. Travellers can now bring a bag measuring up to 40 by 30 by 20 centimetres, five centimetres wider than before. Dimensions for paid 10 kilo cabin bags stored in the overhead locker remain unchanged.
This renewed focus on baggage enforcement comes at a time when Ryanair and other European carriers are under closer regulatory scrutiny. Investigations into passenger rights and pricing practices are ongoing, though Ryanair has previously denied altering its baggage policy in response to regulatory pressure.
Meanwhile, the budget airline is enjoying a strong financial run. Net profits hit €820 million in the three months to June, more than double the same period last year. Revenues rose to €4.34 billion, driven by a rise in ticket prices and a bump in passenger numbers, which reached 55.5 million. The average fare increased to €51, up 21% year on year.
Despite the results, CEO Michael O’Leary warned that further passenger growth may be hampered by delays in aircraft deliveries. He said the airline expects only modest growth, around 3%, by the end of the financial year, with fares likely to stabilise in the coming months.
Mr O’Leary also cautioned that broader uncertainties such as conflict escalation in the Middle East and Ukraine, economic turbulence and continued disruption in European air traffic control could still impact performance.
Even so, he remains hopeful that Ryanair will claw back most of the fare drop it experienced last year and finish the 2025 to 2026 financial year with healthy profits.
Image: Digital Nomads Spain
