Ryanair announces major change to free luggage allowance coming this summer

Free bags will go up by in size by 20% 

Ryanair will soon no longer be the airline provider with the smallest free underseat baggage allowance, after a new EU law means they have to increase the size. 

The budget airline’s official rules currently allow “one small personal bag which can be brought on board, such as a handbag or laptop bag which must fit under the seat in front of you” however the maximum size of the bag is now to go up from 40x25x20cm to 40x30x20cm.

This brings them in line with fellow budget airline WizzAir but both are still behind EasyJet who allow 45x36x20cm (32 litres). 

The 5cm increase may seem inconsequential but it puts the overall bag volume up from 20-lites to 24-litres, which could make the difference between customers fitting all they need for a mini-trip in the free allowance and them forking out on checked luggage. 

Despite the UK no longer being a member of the European Union, these rules still impact British passengers as they cover EU-based airlines and travel to-and-from the EU. 

Ryanair says the change will be implemented in the coming weeks.

The new law follows another decision made last week by European lawmakers that holidaygoers should be permitted to bring a bag with a minimum size of 40x30x15cm — and another up to 100cm and 7kg in weight — without any extra fees. 

Another change proposed by MEPs (Members of European Parliament) will ensure children aged under-12 are guaranteed a seat next to their accompanying passenger free of charge.

Under previous rules, budget airlines like Ryanair charged passengers a premium price to bring second bag alongside their free personal one. These charges will have to be removed. They also charge passengers to choose their seat.

Extra charges are key to Ryanair’s current business model, so the changes have led to some concern with a spokesperson for the airline saying: “The European Parliament should let travellers decide what services they want, what services they pay for and, importantly, what services they don't."

The extended set of proposed changes must be voted on by the full European Parliament before they become law.