EUROPE. Airside retail purchases are excluded from Ryanair’s latest cabin baggage rules announced yesterday.
From 1 November, the airline will introduce charges for suitcases of up to 10kg that passengers could carry onboard for free until now. It said the rules were changing “to encourage more customers to check-in some bags and reduce the volume of carry-on bags”.
Priority Boarding customers (currently 30% of customers) can continue to bring two free carry-on bags (1 x 10kg wheelie bag and one small bag). Non-priority customers can only bring one free (small) carry-on bag from 1 November. If non-priority customers want to bring an extra wheelie bag they can pay on booking and check it in.
A Ryanair spokesperson confirmed that there will be no change to the rules covering airport shopping bags. Customers (including non-priority travellers) can still bring duty free purchases made airside (i.e. post-security) onboard, in addition to their one cabin bag.
Ryanair Chief Marketing Officer Kenny Jacobs said:
“From November 2018, we are introducing a new lower cost 10kg checked bag and changing our carry-on bag policy to eliminate boarding/flight delays. Priority Boarding customers will continue to enjoy two free carry-on bags. All other (non-priority) customers will be allowed one free (small) carry-on bag, and those who wish to check in a second bigger 10kg bag can do from €8/£8 at the time of booking.
“This new policy will speed up the boarding and cut flight delays. 60% of customers will be unaffected by these changes and we expect that the other 40% will either choose to buy Priority Boarding or a 10kg check bag or will choose to travel with only one (free) small bag as 30% already do so today.”
