Ryanair to ease its free baggage rules

Ryanair is set to relax its famously strict baggage allowance policy, giving passengers a little more room — literally — when packing for their next trip.

In a few weeks' time, the airline will increase the size of the bag that customers can bring on board with them for free.

While the change is modest, it'll give passengers a bit more wiggle room when packing and could make a big difference for those who like to avoid checked bag fees altogether.

What are Ryanair’s current baggage rules?

At present, passengers are only allowed to bring one personal bag on board with them for free. This bag must measure no more than 40 x 25 x 20cm (length by width by height) and Ryanair says it must be able to fit under your seat.

To help you picture it:

• 40cm is about the length of a standard pillow.
  
  
• 25cm is roughly the width of an A4 sheet turned sideways.
  
  
• 20cm is about the height of a shoebox.

Anything larger, or an extra piece of hand luggage, requires purchasing Priority Boarding or checking in a bag. If you buy Priority Boarding you also get to carry on a 10kg bag that's 55 x 40 x 20cm in size. 

What’s changing?

Over the coming weeks, Ryanair will increase its free cabin bag size to 40 x 30 x 20 cm. So that’s an extra 5cm in width.

It’s obviously still not a lot. But for light packers, every centimetre counts. And the new size should allow you to squeeze in another pair or jeans, an extra T-shirt or two, or that book you swore you'd finally read!  

And for very light travellers, it could just about make the difference between having to pay for a checked bag or not.

Why is Ryanair doing this?

Let’s be honest, Ryanair isn’t exactly known for its generosity. In fact, it was one of the first airlines to introduce baggage fees, and it’s built a business model around charging for almost every type of optional extra you can think of…

So why the change?

It’s largely to do with European regulation. The EU Parliament is looking to standardise baggage rules across the bloc to make air travel less confusing and more consumer-friendly. Currently, what you’re allowed to travel with for free can vary wildly between airlines — something that’s long frustrated passengers.

The Parliament is also proposing that all airlines allow passengers two free carry-on bags, though this part has met with strong resistance from major carriers.

In response, and to help deflect regulatory pressure, the airline industry group Airlines for Europe (A4E) — which includes Ryanair, EasyJet, Lufthansa, Air France-KLM, and British Airways’ parent company IAG as members — has agreed on a new minimum standard size for a free underseat bag: 40 x 30 x 15 cm.

So Ryanair’s updated limit of 40 x 30 x 20 cm is actually slightly more generous than that, as is EasyJet's.

What else should I know?

This change only affects Ryanair’s free underseat carry-on allowance. The airline’s other baggage rules, such as for checked bags and paid cabin bags under Priority Boarding, remain the same for now. 

If you’re set to travel with Ryanair over the coming days and weeks, just remember the new rules won’t come into effect for a few weeks yet. Perhaps not until the autumn, as the bag sizers Ryanair uses at boarding gates to check passengers' bags all need to be adjusted to the new standard.

So continue to adhere to the smaller baggage allowance for now.  

But if you're planning a trip later this year, you’ll enjoy a little more breathing room when packing. 

And if you're looking to buy new travel luggage over the coming months, you should look out for bags that match the new, slightly bigger guidelines — these will likely become more widely available once the rules have come into effect as shops and manufacturers change their offering to meet the new demand. 

Get travel insurance

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Head to our travel insurance page and select the cover you need today. You can get a quote for single trip, annual multi-trip, or winter sports cover in just minutes. 

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