Latest news with #baggage
News.com.au
2 days ago
- News.com.au
Shocking moment Ryanair passenger sobs and hits door after being stopped from boarding
This is the shocking moment a female Ryanair passenger was left sobbing on her knees after being banned from boarding her flight. The tearful woman was left hitting a door in an emotional outburst as airport staff reportedly told her that her hand luggage was too big. Chaos unfolded at Sofia Airport in Bulgaria when the woman was left screaming, sobbing and venting her frustration over Ryanair's strict baggage policy. A packed flight was due to board a bus to their plane when the female passenger was stopped in the queue. Nikolay Stefanov, a witness to the shocking ordeal, said the woman was told she had to pay for extra baggage because her luggage didn't fit in the holdall. The woman refused to pay as she explained her bag could in fact fit. Footage shows her trying to force her bag into the luggage rack by slamming it in. The bag does eventually fit but the staff still refuse to let her board. She then breaks down in tears as she pleads with a member of the border police and takes a video of the bag which is now wedged inside the rack. Dozens of the passengers were seen watching on from behind a glass door which was all that separated them from the weeping woman. Determined to board, she then starts to bang on the door and ask for help as Mr Stefanov films the sad ordeal. More staff quickly surround the woman as her begging grows louder. At one point she even drops to her knees before placing her hand on the door as tears roll down her face. Mr Stefanov said the whole situation 'escalated quickly'. 'She was pleading with us not to leave, but we were threatened that the entire flight would be cancelled if we didn't get on the bus, so passengers became frightened and left,' he said. Mr Stefanov said many onlookers were also shocked by how the staff treated her with next to no compassion. It has also been claimed that another passenger stood behind the woman in line was removed from the flight. A Ryanair staff member allegedly said that they couldn't let him on because 'reopening the gate risked the woman trying to get on the bus'. The viral footage soon caught the eye of Bulgaria's parliament. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Grozdan Karadjov has reportedly ordered an inspection of the airport's security cameras. Mr Karadjov is even said to have described the behaviour of employees in the video as 'outrageous', reports. He has assured people that the main ground operator will be found and given the 'highest fine' and a verbal warning. In response, Goldair Handling Bulgaria insisted their employees acted 'professionally and without any physical contact with the passenger'. The handling company released a statement to BNT News that read: 'All rules regarding passengers' baggage, its permissible size and the fees payable for baggage are determined solely, entirely and unilaterally by the airlines. 'Goldair Handling Bulgaria OOD is solely obliged to monitor compliance with these rules by the airlines. 'This also applies to hand luggage, as Goldair Handling Bulgaria OOD is obliged to monitor the dimensions of this baggage and collect excess baggage fees. '[Staff] acted professionally and without any physical contact with the passenger.' It comes as Ryanair's CEO is considering increasing bonuses paid to staff for spotting oversized luggage. The budget airline currently pays staff approximately €1.50 (AU$2.66) for stopping passengers with oversized bags from boarding the aircraft. Currently, staff bonuses for doing this are capped at €80 (AU$143) a month. Passengers who are unlucky enough to get caught out by the airline's staff are charged a fee of up to €75 (AU$134) for bringing luggage that is larger than they paid for while booking their journey.
The Sun
2 days ago
- The Sun
Shocking moment Ryanair passenger sobs & hits door after being stopped from boarding as her ‘hand luggage was too big'
THIS is the shocking moment a female Ryanair passenger is left sobbing on her knees after being banned from boarding her flight. The tearful woman was left hitting a door in an emotional outburst as airport staff reportedly told her that her hand luggage was too big. 6 6 6 6 Chaos unfolded at Sofia Airport in Bulgaria when the woman was left screaming, sobbing and venting her frustration over Ryanair 's strict baggage policy. A packed flight was due to board a bus to their plane when the female passenger was stopped in the queue. Nikolay Stefanov, a witness to the shocking ordeal, said the woman was told she had to pay for extra baggage because her luggage didn't fit in the holdall. The woman refused to pay as she explained her bag could in fact fit. Footage shows her trying to force her bag into the luggage rack by slamming it in. The bag does eventually fit but the staff still refuse to let her board. She then breaks down in tears as she pleads with a member of the border police and takes a video of the bag which is now wedged inside the rack. Dozens of the passengers were seen watching on from behind a glass door which was all that separated them from the weeping woman. Determined to board, she then starts to bang on the door and ask for help as Nikolay films the sad ordeal. More staff quickly surround the woman as her begging grows louder. Moment Brit woman is dragged off Ryanair flight & thrown to floor after 'assaulting passengers and making bomb threat' At one point she even drops to her knees before placing her hand on the door as tears roll down her face. Nikolay said the whole situation "escalated quickly". He added: "She was pleading with us not to leave, but we were threatened that the entire flight would be cancelled if we didn't get on the bus, so passengers became frightened and left." Nikolay said many onlookers were also shocked by how the staff treated her with next to no compassion. It has also been claimed that another passenger stood behind the woman in line was removed from the flight. A Ryanair staff member allegedly said that they couldn't let him on because "reopening the gate risked the woman trying to get on the bus". The viral footage soon caught the eye of Bulgaria's parliament. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Grozdan Karadjov has reportedly ordered an inspection of the airport's security cameras. Mr Karadjov is even said to have described the behaviour of employees in the video as "outrageous", reports. He has assured people that the main ground operator will be found and given the "highest fine" and a verbal warning. In response, Goldair Handling Bulgaria insisted their employees acted "professionally and without any physical contact with the passenger". The handling company released a statement to BNT News that read: "All rules regarding passengers' baggage, its permissible size and the fees payable for baggage are determined solely, entirely and unilaterally by the airlines. "Goldair Handling Bulgaria OOD is solely obliged to monitor compliance with these rules by the airlines. "This also applies to hand luggage, as Goldair Handling Bulgaria OOD is obliged to monitor the dimensions of this baggage and collect excess baggage fees. "[Staff] acted professionally and without any physical contact with the passenger." It comes as Ryanair's CEO is considering increasing bonuses paid to staff for spotting oversized luggage. The budget airline currently pays staff approximately €1.50 (£1.30) for stopping passengers with oversized bags from boarding the aircraft. Currently, staff bonuses for doing this are capped at €80 (£70) a month. Passengers who are unlucky enough to get caught out by the airline's staff are charged a fee of up to €75 (£65) for bringing luggage that is larger than they paid for while booking their journey. 6 6
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
An Airline Worker Is Telling Travelers To Stop This One Luggage Tag Habit That's Fueling A Scam
If you're anything like me, one of the first things you want to do when you get out of baggage claim is rip off the ugly sticker luggage tag from your checked-in bag, or, let's be real, the carry-on you were forced to check in because there isn't enough space in overhead bins on the plane. Now, most of the time I rip them off when I get home or to my hotel. But, there have been lots of times I have ripped it off at the airport while waiting for my bus, car, or train to come pick me up, and apparently that is a big NO-NO. Recently, in the r/delta subreddit, u/Limp_Jeweler_2026, who says they work for Delta, explained why you should always remove your luggage tags at home because of a growing scam. Saying, "Good evening, everyone. I am a Delta baggage claims manager, and I just wanted to let everyone know to please start discarding your bag tags at home. We are getting an influx of fraudulent claims being submitted for 'missing items' as these people are observing who is removing their luggage tags in the claim areas and using your information to submit claims for reimbursement." They went on to add, "From my own personal experience in currently dealing with this, it is causing issues with reimbursing the real people if they submit a legitimate claim. So please be careful and don't take your tags off at the airport. They can steal enough information from that to use your travel itinerary to get paid." People in the comments were grateful for the advice: "Scams, fraud, and fuck around and find out are at an all-time high. This person is looking out for you!!! Do not scroll past this advice." —FormalTemporary2494 "Never would have occurred to me, but THANK YOU, OP!" —3ebgirl4eva "Japan had secured bag tag disposal receptacles near the secured exit of baggage claim. This explains why." —Longjumping-Usual-35 While others had even more advice about what to do with luggage tags: "I take my tags off as soon as I get my bag and stuff the tags inside my personal item. I believe my priority/business class tag had me targeted by a pickpocket many years ago." —06031eec "Just adding to this: Also, don't throw these away in your hotel room either. As a former hotel employee, there have been a few instances of fraud using bag tags found at hotels, too. Be vigilant!" —Pristine-Director716 "Not even bag tags, printed boarding passes as well. Next time you show up to your seat and someone else is there, don't be surprised, lol." —TRex2025 "Do one better. SHRED your bag tags and printed boarding passes as soon as you can after getting to your destination." —Helpful_Hovercraft25 You can read the original thread on Reddit. Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity. Are you someone who always tosses your luggage tags as soon as you get your bags at the airport? Are there other travel safety habits you follow that surprise you when others don't? Tell us in the comments below (anonymously) — you might be featured in an upcoming BuzzFeed post!
CNN
3 days ago
- Business
- CNN
Europe's biggest airline weighs up increasing bonuses for staff who spot oversize bags
Aviation newsFacebookTweetLink Follow Sign up for Unlocking the World, CNN Travel's weekly newsletter. Get news about destinations, plus the latest in aviation, food and drink, and where to stay. (CNN) – In our latest roundup of travel news: a new unwelcome American visa fee, how airlines fight the 'scourge' of excess baggage, plus a guide to packing everything you need in a backpack. Michael O'Leary, the famously outspoken CEO of Europe's biggest airline, Ryanair, confirmed Monday that its agents who identify and charge for oversize bags get a bonus of around 1.50 euro a bag (or $1.75). The airline is 'aggressive about eliminating the scourge of passengers with excess baggage,' he told RTÉ's Morning Ireland, and 'we're thinking of increasing' the agent commission. O'Leary also declared that the European parliament's recent push for airlines to increase free carry-on baggage allowance has 'no chance of passing into law' due to a lack of space on board aircraft. 'We're flying largely full flights, about half the passengers can bring two bags and the other half can only bring one – because that's all that fits in the plane,' he said. O'Leary is the only airline CEO to have commented on agent commissions. However, a leaked email, widely reported by UK outlets after a scoop by the Jersey Evening Post, is said to reveal that staff at several UK airports receive commissions for spotting outsize bags for budget airline easyJet. When contacted by CNN, airport ground handling company Swissport said, 'We serve our airline customers and apply their policies under terms and conditions for managing their operation.' Easyjet told CNN that its ground handling agents are employed by third parties who manage agent remuneration directly, without oversight by the airline. 'EasyJet is focused on ensuring our ground handling partners apply our policies correctly and consistently in fairness to all our customers,' a spokesperson said. A British budget airline has become unexpectedly famous after a years-old advertisement resurfaced as a TikTok meme, with the audio featuring in more than a million videos to date. The upbeat audio 'Nothing beats a Jet2 holiday' is being used over footage of vacationers in precarious situations. Voice actor Zoë Lister talked to CNN about becoming a viral sensation. US low-fare carriers have been in the headlines too, as Southwest Airlines this week announced a start date for assigned seating, bringing its trademark open-seating policy to an end. If you're vacationing this summer and want to travel light to avoid budget airline baggage fees, our partners at CNN Underscored, a product reviews and recommendations guide owned by CNN, have this guide to packing everything you need in a backpack. In what has been unwelcome news for the US tourism industry, visitors to the United States who require visas to enter will soon need to cough up a new $250 'visa integrity fee.' The idea is that if everything goes smoothly and the visitor leaves the country on time and without trouble, they'll get the money back – except that no refund procedure has yet been unveiled. 'No one knows how it's going to work,' says CNN anchor Richard Quest in this explainer video. With visitor numbers already dropping 'because the perception is the United States is not very welcoming at the moment,' many potential arrivals may decide not to come at all, Quest predicts. The United States has also once again slipped in the Henley Passport Index's global passport power rankings, and is on the verge of dropping out of the top 10 altogether. It's the lowest position ever for the US in the 20-year history of the index, which tracks the number of destinations a nation's citizens can enter without a visa. In happier news, Indian and Chinese travelers are hailing the end of the visa freeze between the world's two most populous nations as diplomatic tensions thaw. Here's how it's all working out. Her boyfriend fell asleep on the train. Then she spent the six-hour journey talking to her future husband. Just chill out. The US debate heats up about European ice-free beverages. They live in paradise. But everyday life is more complicated.
CNN
3 days ago
- Business
- CNN
Europe's biggest airline weighs up increasing bonuses for staff who spot oversize bags
Aviation newsFacebookTweetLink Follow Sign up for Unlocking the World, CNN Travel's weekly newsletter. Get news about destinations, plus the latest in aviation, food and drink, and where to stay. (CNN) – In our latest roundup of travel news: a new unwelcome American visa fee, how airlines fight the 'scourge' of excess baggage, plus a guide to packing everything you need in a backpack. Michael O'Leary, the famously outspoken CEO of Europe's biggest airline, Ryanair, confirmed Monday that its agents who identify and charge for oversize bags get a bonus of around 1.50 euro a bag (or $1.75). The airline is 'aggressive about eliminating the scourge of passengers with excess baggage,' he told RTÉ's Morning Ireland, and 'we're thinking of increasing' the agent commission. O'Leary also declared that the European parliament's recent push for airlines to increase free carry-on baggage allowance has 'no chance of passing into law' due to a lack of space on board aircraft. 'We're flying largely full flights, about half the passengers can bring two bags and the other half can only bring one – because that's all that fits in the plane,' he said. O'Leary is the only airline CEO to have commented on agent commissions. However, a leaked email, widely reported by UK outlets after a scoop by the Jersey Evening Post, is said to reveal that staff at several UK airports receive commissions for spotting outsize bags for budget airline easyJet. When contacted by CNN, airport ground handling company Swissport said, 'We serve our airline customers and apply their policies under terms and conditions for managing their operation.' Easyjet told CNN that its ground handling agents are employed by third parties who manage agent remuneration directly, without oversight by the airline. 'EasyJet is focused on ensuring our ground handling partners apply our policies correctly and consistently in fairness to all our customers,' a spokesperson said. A British budget airline has become unexpectedly famous after a years-old advertisement resurfaced as a TikTok meme, with the audio featuring in more than a million videos to date. The upbeat audio 'Nothing beats a Jet2 holiday' is being used over footage of vacationers in precarious situations. Voice actor Zoë Lister talked to CNN about becoming a viral sensation. US low-fare carriers have been in the headlines too, as Southwest Airlines this week announced a start date for assigned seating, bringing its trademark open-seating policy to an end. If you're vacationing this summer and want to travel light to avoid budget airline baggage fees, our partners at CNN Underscored, a product reviews and recommendations guide owned by CNN, have this guide to packing everything you need in a backpack. In what has been unwelcome news for the US tourism industry, visitors to the United States who require visas to enter will soon need to cough up a new $250 'visa integrity fee.' The idea is that if everything goes smoothly and the visitor leaves the country on time and without trouble, they'll get the money back – except that no refund procedure has yet been unveiled. 'No one knows how it's going to work,' says CNN anchor Richard Quest in this explainer video. With visitor numbers already dropping 'because the perception is the United States is not very welcoming at the moment,' many potential arrivals may decide not to come at all, Quest predicts. The United States has also once again slipped in the Henley Passport Index's global passport power rankings, and is on the verge of dropping out of the top 10 altogether. It's the lowest position ever for the US in the 20-year history of the index, which tracks the number of destinations a nation's citizens can enter without a visa. In happier news, Indian and Chinese travelers are hailing the end of the visa freeze between the world's two most populous nations as diplomatic tensions thaw. Here's how it's all working out. Her boyfriend fell asleep on the train. Then she spent the six-hour journey talking to her future husband. Just chill out. The US debate heats up about European ice-free beverages. They live in paradise. But everyday life is more complicated.
