BB FANS

27.10.06

Families pay the price as Ryanair slash bag weights before they return home

Hundreds of thousands of holidaying families could be hit by a fine of more than £100 as a budget airline slashes their luggage weight limit - before they return home.

Ryanair will next week cut the amount of baggage passengers are allowed by a quarter.

But, farcically, holidaymakers who fly out before the November 1 deadline will still have to comply with the new 15 kg weight limit when they fly back.

Passengers on return flights - who have not been warned about the loophole - will then have to pay Ryanair excess baggage charges just to take back the same amount of luggage they took with them.

The no-frills airline risks furious scenes at airports when passengers try to check-in their bags when the rules come into force on Wednesday.

About 120,000 people fly with Ryanair every day and many have no idea about the new rules which could cost them a small fortune.

At present, each person can check-in 20kg of luggage but this will be cut to 15kg from 0:01am on Wednesday.

For example, if you fly to Barcelona today (sat) for a week's holiday, you can check-in 20kg of luggage - but you can only come back with 15kg.

The no-frills airline, which made profits of £230 million last year, insists there will be no leeway for passengers flying home from their holidays this week.

If people come back with too much luggage, they will have to pay the excess baggage fine, according to the airline famous for its ruthlessly frugal approach.

If a family of four, who each left Britain with 20kg of luggage, return with the same amount, they must pay £110 in excess baggage. Excess baggage is charged at £5.50, or the local currency equivalent, per kilogram.

It is a cruel blow for holidaymakers who have already been stung by Ryanair's new policy to charge everybody just to check-in a bag.

From March, it charges up to £7 per bag per one-way flight to check-in luggage, although hand baggage up to 10kg is still free.

The new rules come in the same week that Ryanair was voted the world's least favourite airline by a poll of about 4,000 travellers around the world.

thisislondon

Phew....my bag was 17kg today. Good job it's still October.

I was very proud this summer holiday that my bag was only 18.5kg on the way out-lowest ever.

Sadly, on they way back it was 23.5kg. And I'd bought two new hand luggage bags which were stuffed with Italian goodies, so goodness knows how much of the Italian export industry profits I was responsible for this year.

I think charging extra for hold luggage is fair enough, as the plane is heavier and has therefore to use more fuel. It is a no-frills airline after all, prices are low enough - you can't have everything! But to apply the rules on those who have a RETURN ticket after the rules change - well, that's just mean.

anyone travelled on Sky Europe? what was it like?

I am hoping they start weighing people onto planes.

After all, its all about weight ! If someone weighs twice as much as me, why should they not pay twice as much?

Calrissian: trying to cut back on chocolate.

A good idea in principle but can you imagine it at check-in .
Not sure if it's such a great idea as for many people they can't help being big and therefore shouldn't be penalised for it. Whereas you can decide how much luggage you take (although larger people would be penalised here because their clothes are bigger, etc... )