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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

re Ryanair baggage allowance?

44 replies

popmimiboo · 13/07/2014 11:39

DS and DD are off to Spain next week to stay with friends. They are travelling with ryanair as it's the most convenient route for us. To save the hassle of baggage reclaim (fear of stressed kids, lost baggage etc) I was planning on just giving them each a small wheelie suitcase to carry on board. They are only staying for 6 days and will only need a few swimsuits, pairs of shorts etc!
However, I've just measured my two cases, one is fine but the other, despite being exactly the same size inside, has a bigger frame so comes up at 56.5cm tall.
Ryanair specify 55cm as max height. Other airlines all 56cm -grrrr!

I think that I'm going to have to buy another suitcase that doesn't exceed 55cm. Annoying as we've had so much to shell out this summer already but I'm not a risk taker.

DH, however, thinks it's perfectly reasonable to send them off to the airport with the case and cross fingers it gets on! (Weight is within limits)
If they decide to enforce the height rule however, it will cost us €50.

Thoughts? Experiences?

OP posts:

SwedishEdith · 13/07/2014 15:23

Have they got backpacks? They'll fit usually and are squashable

SadOldGit · 13/07/2014 15:40

We used these from IKEA cheap and light

www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/90241142/

Original poster

popmimiboo · 13/07/2014 16:24

Sad -these are perfect and (I've just checked) in stock at the ikea down the road (though more expensive over here!) Could be the best solution. DD2 can use the slightly too big suitcase on her travels to PILs in the car.

Sorted :-)

OP posts:

thecageisfull · 13/07/2014 16:30

I flew with RyanAir about a month ago and they only let the first 90 bags into the cabin. Everything else went into the hold. They let us keep 1 out of 4 bags. Fortunately I was forewarned so I had put everything we wanted for the flight into one bag.

NorbertDentressangle · 13/07/2014 17:11

thecageisfull - how does that work?

Do they tell everyone checking in that they will only be allowed 1 piece of cabin luggage per family/group?

Or is it that the first 80 (or whatever) people get to take a piece on then the next 10 families/groups are told whilst queuing they can take 1 per group and anyone else after that is told 'tough'!?

TheDayOfMyDoctor · 13/07/2014 17:12

I flew with Ryanair last week and they put all three of our bags in the hold - there were plenty behind us in the queue who got to take theirs on so it definitely doesn't seem to be the first 90. They were pretty lax on the handbag size though - both DH and I had a bag that was slightly big but they didn't blink an eye at those.
I wouldn't risk a case that was too big - you can get fairly cheap bags that fit their dimensions. We now ditch our pricey but heavy luggage when travelling with Ryanair etc and use very lightweight cheap bags.

What I would do in future though is have anything that I didn't want to go in the hold in a bag inside the top of my case - they were happy to let me whip out what I needed before boarding.

Oriunda · 13/07/2014 18:14

It's not the first 90 cabin bags on the aircraft. There is only space for approx 90 normal sized trolley bags in the overhead lockers (and a full flight is 180 pax). Obviously if you have a bag that fits under the seat in front of you, that's ok. They get annoyed with people who stash smaller bags/coats in the overheads when that stuff could go under the seats, as it leaves less space for larger sized bags that will only fit in the overheads. Trunkis, for eg, fit underneath the seat in front, and people insisting on those going up are taking space that a larger bag could use. On a full flight they'll go asking people who've stashed a smaller bag to put in on the seat in front.

The crew won't know until most people are on board how much space there is in the overheads so usually it's the people last to board (or with larger bags) that run the risk of having their luggage put in the hold.

NorbertDentressangle · 13/07/2014 19:37

It sounds a bit hit and miss!

I guess if we pack one bag (the smallest/squishiest one?) with snacks, books, entertainment for the flight etc then we should be able to keep hold of at least that one then?

morethanpotatoprints · 13/07/2014 19:43

Buy a new bag, they are as strict as anything and its not worth the hassle.
don't forget they can have a smaller bag as well.
They are also buggers for charging you extra for everything including your flight details if you booked online.
Make sure you have a copy of any numbers/details not on your flight pass.

Boaty · 13/07/2014 19:47

No advice but I immediately thought of this

thecageisfull · 13/07/2014 19:53

On the outbound flight they told people at the gate that they couldn't take their bag and put a yellow sticker on and you had to leave it at the front of the plane before you got on. On the way back the guy at check-in told us we couldn't take them on. We checked in very early and would've been within the first 90. Both times they tried to get all the bags in the hold but when I piped up 'I need one with me' they have allowed it without any resistance.

It says 'first 90 guaranteed' but I guess they try and get as many in the hold as possible. It made it easier for us to not have to manhandle cabin bags with small kids and we had a check in bag so needed to wait for that anyway. They appeared to target groups of people in the hope that they would relinquish one or two bags from their total. You don't have to fit your handbag into your case anymore like you used to be able to and some peoples handbags were huge. Mine had an 11inch laptop in so is in no way small.

NorbertDentressangle · 13/07/2014 19:55

Thank you cage, that's handy to know.

superbagpuss · 13/07/2014 20:11

do you know its the the first 90 to check in and online you can check in days before hand?

we fly Ryanair with work and the travel company always check us in first, sometimes a couple of weeks beforehand. getting priority boarding is good but even without it I ensure I am at the front of the boarding queue.

my bag is a tidge larger then allowed - I think half a centimeter- but I have never been questioned

Loletta · 13/07/2014 20:20

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

thecageisfull · 13/07/2014 20:20

I don't think it's anything to do with on line check in. I think on the way out you had the best chance of keeping your bag if you got the the gate early and on the way back if you got to the check in desk early (which you wouldn't need to go to if you only had cabin bags )

Oriunda · 13/07/2014 21:47

Like cage said, nothing to do with when you check in online. It's where you are in the queue to board the plane. If you are last to board and you have a large trolley, chances are all the overhead lockers will be full.

TheDayOfMyDoctor · 13/07/2014 22:59

On our flight last week lots of people early in the queue (within the first 90 like us) had to put their bags in the hold and lots after us didn't. I thought they were trying to get extra bags in the hold early so it didn't hold up the flight. They thought they might have to take bags from the last few people (overheard air stewards talking about it) but they managed to squeeze them in.

Original poster

popmimiboo · 23/07/2014 12:52

UPDATE
Just reporting back in case anyone else is travelling ryanair these holidays. It all went very well -I ended up borrowing a smaller case from MIL which was fine for DS. The too big case would have been absolutely fine though. They have a sign on the luggage sizer thing saying blatently that the sizer is larger than the 55 x 40 x 20 allowance but if it fits it's free! So basically up to about 58 x45 would be fine.

They got in the queue early (extremely efficient boarding system) so got to take their cases on but (I could see from the window, small airport) some of the last people had their cases whisked off tp the hold just before boarding.

I also bought DD and DS a small back pack each (website stated 30cm x 20cm) but this rule was totally relaxed. Most passengers had good sized cabin suitcases and large hand bags/ back packs. Hardly any bigger luggage in the hold!

Excellent organisation and service from ryanair though. They boarded bang on time and even arrived 5 mins early!

Fingers crossed their return flight to the UK goes so smoothly...

OP posts:

tiggerkid · 23/07/2014 12:59

I wouldn't try it on with budget airlines. You may get away with it or you may not. If you know the rules, I'd rather stick to them if you don't want to pay extra. And Ryan Air (led by their pretty outspoken chief) isn't really known for being particular compassionate to people's circumstances. Their chief time and time again said in the press that he doesn't understand why people insist on breaking the clearly defined rules and then complaining, so I'd say that this pretty much sums up their attitude and rules of operation. If I am honest, I can't even say that I think it's unfair.

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