Ryanair's new tactic: Pay staff more to keep oversized bags offboard
Currently, Ryanair staff receive a €1.50 (£1.30) incentive for each passenger they catch attempting to bring an oversized bag onboard. Speaking to RTE's Morning Ireland, O'Leary said, 'We're thinking of increasing it [the bonus]' as part of efforts to deter non-compliance with the airline's baggage rules.
'We are determined to eliminate the scourge of oversized bags which delay boarding and are clearly unfair on the over 99% of our passengers who comply with our baggage rules,' Ryanair said in a statement.
The airline emphasized that oversized baggage fees are incurred by a very small minority of travelers. 'Our message to those 0.1% of passengers is simple: please comply with our generous bag rules or you will be charged at check-in or at the gate,' the statement added.
O'Leary acknowledged that excessive baggage has become a growing issue. 'That's one of the reasons we are so aggressive about eliminating the scourge of passengers with excess baggage,' he said.
Referring to baggage measurement stations or "sizers" located in airports, the Ryanair chief executive noted that over 99.9% of passengers do comply with baggage regulations. He further stated, 'We are happy to incentivise our staff with a share of those excess baggage fees, which we think will decline over the coming year or two.'
Passengers who bring larger-than-allowed bags may face charges up to €75 (£65). Currently, Ryanair permits one small carry-on bag per passenger — capped at 40cm x 20cm x 25cm with a weight limit of 10kg. However, under new EU regulations establishing minimum standards, the allowable bag size is set to increase slightly to 40cm x 30cm x 20cm.
Customers also have the option to purchase additional baggage allowance during the booking process, agreeing to specific size and weight conditions.
O'Leary's remarks came as Ryanair reported a significant jump in quarterly profits. For the April to June period, post-tax profits rose to €820 million (£710.3 million), up from €360 million during the same period last year. The growth was attributed to the timing of Easter and increased ticket fares.
Looking ahead, O'Leary indicated that while average summer fares would remain on par with 2023, the airline expects to boost profitability through tighter cost control.
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