A travel expert has issued a warning to UK holidaymakers after being hit with a hefty fine by Ryanair for a seemingly minor baggage issue. Gilly Bachelor, a 55-year-old travel agency owner from Cannock, was charged an extra £75 at the gate because the wheels on her cabin suitcase protruded slightly from the airline's baggage sizer.
The Costly Boarding Gate Surprise
The incident occurred on 12 January 2026 as Gilly was boarding a flight from Birmingham Airport to Malaga, Spain. Despite being an experienced traveller and having paid £125 for priority boarding and two cabin bag options, she was pulled aside during the boarding process. Ryanair staff checked her bag in the sizer and declared it too wide due to the wheels, demanding an immediate payment of £75 to take it on board.
"I've taken that bag on lots of flights with no problem, just not Ryanair," Gilly explained. "As we were boarding, a gentleman was checking all the bags. They put it in the sizer, and the issue was with the wheels. I travel a lot myself, so I'm usually pretty relaxed, and clearly this caught me out this time." She described the experience as "stressful."
Not An Isolated Incident
Gilly claimed she was far from alone in facing this unexpected charge. According to her account, around 20 other passengers on the same flight were similarly pulled aside and fined as staff rigorously checked every bag against the sizer. This practice, she suggested, is a revenue-generating tactic for the budget carrier.
"Ryanair is a very low-cost airline, so they operate to tight margins and will generate extra revenue wherever they can," she stated. The airline's official guidance states: "Our overhead lockers can only fit 100 bags so we measure bags at the gate to make sure you are bringing the right size bag in order for us to make sure we can get all 100 bags on board."
A Clear Warning for Travellers
Despite the frustration, Gilly acknowledged that the rules are clearly stated by the airline. She noted that her bag was fully compliant on her return journey with easyJet and would have been with Jet2, highlighting the importance of checking each airline's specific regulations.
Her advice to fellow passengers is unequivocal. "My advice is to check the size rules carefully and invest in a compliant bag," she urged. "It's much less stressful than being caught at the gate and paying a fine." This episode serves as a stark reminder that even seasoned travellers can be caught out by stringent and consistently enforced baggage policies, particularly with budget airlines where non-compliance comes with a direct financial penalty at the gate.
