To have not known this about Ryanair?

[eastandwestand]

So, we’ve not flown for around 5 years.
Instead we’ve done ferries, a couple of cruises and U.K. holidays.
Booked our flights with Ryanair and booked 2 bags which could each contain 20kg.
Weighed them the night before. 1 bag was 20kg and 1 bag was 22kg. So 2kg over.
Spoke to a few people who said the person checking the bags usually turns a blind eye with a couple of kg extra weight. In fact I’ve never been charged for excess luggage, even when my bag was 29kg instead of 25kg EasyJet just stuck a “heavy” label on it.
Anyway, got to the airport and it’s self check in.
You weigh your own baggage and before the machine prints you a luggage label you have to pay on the card machine attached to the scales for any KG you are over.
So you can’t physically board a flight until you have paid £11 per kilo for anything over.
I paid obviously, as my case was over, but I never realised this check in system even existed!
Has it been around for long? Or am just not an airport pro these days?

We flew Ryanair once and swore never again. Even when the flights are far cheeper we still won't go there.

I think I first used the self-check in/print your own label things in Amsterdam about 6 years ago. They're pretty standard for the London airports in the UK at least.

I guess as there's not really any human decision making involved, there's no leway from staff for being over- but you knew you were over and had spare hand luggage weight- so why not move things around a bit?

Ryan Air are definitely low cost, and I agree, great at actually getting me to destinations where I want to go! If you go on a weekday, term time, the planes are often half empty too- which makes things better. As long as you understand the system, they really aren't that bad!

EasyJet only let you take one bag on board now too so if you buy a few magazines etc in the shop, you have to stuff it in your hand luggage

My case was 20.7 kg last year on an Alicante> Seville flight with Ryanair and they made me take a jacket out of the case to bring it to under 20.

So I do think that they are amazingly strict

YABU - pretty much every low cost airline is like this now and Ryanair is the worst of the lot. You must have been living under a rock for the last few years not to know this! Maybe a long haul premium airline will turn a blind eye if you've spent £1000 each on a flight. No way do the budget airlines, as there are emails, signs and reminders absolutely everywhere. Why would you think these didn't apply to you?!

Job really? Last year we went to Italy and Crete on EasyJet and bought things in the shop on our return journeys which we took on board in the shop's plastic bags along with our handluggage/cabin suitcases... Maybe some countries are stricter than others?

I got away with .5kg on the EJ machine at Gatwick yesterday. As others have said it’s a pita if your lighter or under allowance bags have already gone through. I’ll do better next time.

Yabu Ryanair has always been strict with weight I've been flying with them for almost 20 yrs
Online check in is very straight forward and the weighting and ticketing of bags too

Thanks OP
I didn’t know about this either

We have been flying Ryanair for over 20 years 4 times a year at least. Never had a problem. However we understand that when they say 20kg they mean 20kg. Simple.

Weighed our cases last night ready for our homeward journey this afternoon.
19.8kg and 19.5kg! Winner winner!!!

they’ve been a round a while. And even if it was still the old fashioned way (human) you would have been charged excess. Their flights are cheap because they are no-frills, why shouldn’t they charge you for something that is their policy. Weird you would think it doesn’t apply to you (there’s always one..)

If you are weighing the bags yourself, you can often put your foot under the corner to lift it up a bit and keep the weight down.

Sometimes there is a staff member about who spots you, and sometimes they pull the bag right onto the scale so so you can’t do it, but often they aren’t really looking as long as your hands are out of the way.

Not that I’d ever do anything like that of course.

Do people think that the limit is just there to piss you off? If everyone were allowed a "just a little bit more", the plane might not be able to fly.

I’ve been charged by easyJet for being over - was significantly over (by 3 or 4kg) and it was actually cheaper to buy an extra hold bag and split the weight across that then pay excess baggage.
We regularly fly cheap airlines - easyJet and Jet2.com are pretty reasonable but Ryanair are out to get you for every penny they can. Am sure that in the event of an emergency they would charge me for use of oxygen masks.....

I hate them
I actually use another airline instead as literally refuse to use them
Hate hate hate the whole customer hating experience.

Used them in Spring. Expected to hate it. Perfectly fine. Clear pricing. Friendly staff. No problem. And I was looking for problems.

Had this with BA when I flew to Scotland from Heathrow recently. I've used self bag tag machines plenty of times before but never been held hostage for payment until then . I also didn't realise the tag came out sticky all over - nothing to peel off like there usually is?! It got stuck to itself so I binned it. Went to print another one and it wouldn't let me, so then had to queue for an age to speak to the one human being on duty...

Be glad they only charged you £22. They want £60 from me for being 2kg over. Ended up with very heavy hand luggage (which nobody weighed) 🤷‍♀️

@LonelyTiredandLow you need to check what sort of ticket you have. It's a standard one without priority boarding you can only take a very small bag (handbag sized). If you have priority boarding you can take a carry on case. Check your ticket - it should have the weight and dimension allowances.

All this 'I had to pay x'. 'I'll never fly with them again etc'.

This is what happens when you don't read/check the limits or believe that it doesn't apply to you. I fly tens of thousands of miles every year and have done for 20 years and have never been charged for excess baggage because when it says 20k limit I err... ensure my bag is under 20kg. Not difficult is it?

All the machines are doing is enforcing it and avoiding the queues that result due to Brenda who is arguing worth the check in desk over the extra 2k of luggage that she simply must have and cannot be charged for...

Granted the bag tags are a pain in the arse as are the machines who don't calculate combined weight.

Read the information provided, it's not difficult. Obviously don't go to the airport knowing one of your bags is over your allowance, reconfigure at home.

Not sure what people don't understand about budget flights either. The flat fare takes you from A to B and if you want extras you pay extra. It's a very simple system. Before budget travel it was all included in the ticket price, which was more expensive.

Personally I'd like to ban all the bloody cabin baggage for passengers who are checking in hold bags. If you've got a bloody great suitcase checked in why on earth do you need to be farting about in the cabin with another 10kg case holding everyone up and nearly decapitating the next person waiting to get into their seat. Medical equipment excepted.

Yeah it’s been around a while. Pack to the weight and you won’t have to pay for overweight baggage 🧐

YABVU to expect them to "turn a blind eye"
You know you were over the limit, don't be entitled.
If they always "turned a blind eye" the prices would no longer be competitive.

It's quite bizarre to go to an airport at the start of your holiday knowing your luggage is overweight, I've done it on return having bought things but not going out. Our last flight we were quite over for one bag, moved away to shift things to another bag and the lovely attendant appreciated our willing and let us put the bags on as they were with an extra heavy sticker. That was Virgin.

Exactly. You get basics. And for that prices, people shouldn't even expect more. I flew to few places in Europe under £30 return. Even a day trip to Dublin for similar price.
Like this you can choose. Travel with a basic or add things if you need them. Cost reflects your decision.