Ryanair is set to increase the size of its free 'personal item' cabin bag from September, but passengers should beware: the airline is simultaneously boosting incentives for staff to catch oversized bags.
The new dimensions for the underseat bag will be 40 x 30 x 20 cm, up from 40 x 20 x 25 cm. This adds four litres of volume, roughly the size of two four-pint milk bottles. However, the paid hand luggage and checked baggage allowances remain unchanged.
Ryanair has increased the reward for staff who catch rule-breakers from €1.50 (£1.30) to €2.50 (£2.25) per bag, and removed the previous €80 (£69) monthly cap. An employee catching two bags per day could earn an extra £139.50 per month.
CEO Michael O'Leary stated that 99.9% of passengers comply, but the airline aims to eliminate the 0.1% who do not. He argued that stricter enforcement speeds up boarding and improves efficiency, allowing Ryanair to keep fares low.
The change follows an EU vote in June requiring free carry-on allowances to meet minimum sizes. Ryanair's new dimensions exceed the EU standard, but the airline has not relaxed rules for paid bags.
