Ryanair increases its luggage fees by 250pc
check-in: Airline claims rise off-sets lower ticket prices
BUDGET airline Ryanair is to hike its charges for checking in luggage by a massive 250pc.
The charge for bags carried in the hold area will rise from €20 to €30 for items checked in at the airport - a 50pc increase.
However, the fee for checking in a second bag at the airport will rocket from €20 to €70 per flight, a rise of 250pc.
The fee for luggage checked in online will increase from €10 to €15. It will jump from €20 to €35 for a second bag registered over the internet.
Passengers who have over-packed will be hit with an excess baggage charge of €20 per kg, up from €15.
The new regime, which will be implemented on October 1, is to off-set the drop in price of average fares this year, Ryanair claims.
It said: "These changes reflect that Ryanair's average fares have fallen by 20pc this year from €40 to €32, resulting in our 67 million passengers saving over €530m per annum."
Passengers can double their baggage allowance to 30kg but will have to pay the new rates for each bag.
There will continue to be no charge for hand luggage but the fee for carrying sports equipment increases by €10.
Stephen McNamara of Ryanair said: "To persuade passengers to travel with carry-on bags only, and to defray the cost of some of these fare reductions, we are increasing baggage allowances and fees with effect from October 1.
"These baggage fees are avoidable by passengers who choose to travel with carry-on luggage only.
"More than 70pc of Ryanair passengers already travel with just one carry-on bag, which is free of charge."
The airline has been cutting its fares this year to attract customers hit by the recession.
The strategy has worked to date, with Ryanair saying this week its passenger numbers rose by 19pc last month.
The airline recently announced a €30 fee was being imposed on passengers who want to carry more than one item of on-board luggage.
The surcharge even applies to duty-free shopping, meaning anything bought prior to boarding has to be crammed into hand luggage.
For taking a second item on board, the penalty will be the €30 charge and, in cases where passengers refuse to stump up, they will not be allowed on the plane.
comurphy@herald.ie
- Cormac Murphy
