Ryanair has announced it will raise the bonus paid to airport staff for spotting oversized cabin bags from €1.50 to €2.50, effective from the start of the winter schedule in November. The airline's chief executive, Michael O'Leary, confirmed the move and said the monthly cap of €80 on such bonuses will also be removed.
Passengers whose cabin bags exceed the maximum dimensions for a small suitcase (40x30x20cm) face fees of up to £75 and have their luggage placed in the hold. O'Leary defended the policy, stating he makes 'absolutely no apology' for it and wants to encourage staff to catch those 'scamming the system.'
The announcement follows reports that Swissport staff handling easyJet flights received bonuses of £1.20 per bag for enforcing similar rules. O'Leary dismissed concerns about punitive charges for minor infractions, claiming that 99.9% of passengers comply with the rules and only 0.1% pay gate bag fees, equating to around 200,000 passengers annually.
O'Leary emphasised that the airline is not trying to catch people out but aims to maintain efficiency and low costs. He urged passengers to comply with the rules to avoid issues, stating, 'We are running a very efficient, very affordable, very low-cost airline, and we're not letting anybody get in the way.'
