Ryanair (LON: RYA) has announced plans to tighten rules on what passengers are allowed to bring onto aircrafts.
According to the airline, the scheme that allows people to hand in their smaller cases in the hold for free at the boarding gate is causing delays.
From November, Ryanair will charge passengers for 10kg cases to be taken onto the plane, with a small suitcase still allowed free of charge.
“This new policy will speed up the boarding and cut flight delays. 60 percent of customers will be unaffected by these changes and we expect that the other 40 percent will either choose to buy priority boarding or a 10kg check bag, or will choose to travel with only one free small bag,” said Kenny Jacobs, Ryanair’s chief marketing officer.
Ryanair has said that most of its customers will not be affected by the bag policy change. According to the airline, 30 percent of travellers have already bought priority boarding and another 30 percent already travel with only one small carry-on bag.
The airline insists that the move is not about making money but intends to “improve punctuality and reduce boarding gate delays”.
This is the second time in a year that the airline has altered its cabin luggage policy.
The first change that was introduced in January saw small carry-on cases taken at the gate and put in the aircraft hold for free. Only those with priority boarding were able to put cases in the cabin’s overhead lockers.
The move was accepted with equanimity but did not solve delays at the gate.
From November, if passengers arrive at the boarding gate with a carry on bag that is over 20 litres but haven’t paid for the priority boarding status, the bag will be placed in the hold and passengers will be charged £25.
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