If you need more than cabin luggage, book your baggage allowance online in advance, otherwise you’ll have to stump up a lot of money on the day!
Ryanair cabin baggage allowance: weight, size and fees | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Ryanair cabin luggage size | Ryanair cabin luggage weight allowance | Number of bags allowed onboard | Cost to check in oversized cabin luggage |
| 55x40x20cm maximum cabin luggage size 35x20x20cm maximum size for additional small bag | 10kg maximum weight | One hand luggage bag per passenger, plus one small bag | Free if your cabin bag meets Ryanair regulations and flight is full Excess hand luggage is Dh195 per item |
Ryanair hold baggage allowance: weight, size and fees | |||
| Ryanair hold baggage size | Ryanair hold baggage weight allowance | Number of hold bags allowed | Cost of Ryanair hold baggage |
| 81x119x119cm maximum dimensions | 32kg maximum weight: not including mobility equipment 15kg-20kg maximum weight for checked bags Ryanair baggage allowance can be pooled between passengers on the same Ryanair flight booking | Up to 3 items of hold luggage per passenger | Online Dh40 – Dh160 At the airport Dh100 – Dh200 These fees can vary depending on the route you’re flying |
Can I take additional items on board?
Dialysis machines and other medical equipment is allowed in the cabin, as are footballs and other inflatable sports equipment, but you must deflate them before boarding.
How can I get around Ryanair’s hand luggage restrictions?
Your cabin bags shouldn’t cause you a problem if you follow these tips:
1. Don’t forget your handbag
Unlike some other low-cost airlines, Ryanair allows small cabin bags such as laptop bags, on top of your standard carry on bags (it’s not easy stuffing a handbag into a suitcase at the easyJet check-in desk!) Even if you don’t usually use a handbag, it’s worth using one for a Ryanair flight in order to take advantage of the extra baggage allowance. Plus, carrying a small hold-all or rucksack for personal items will make your journey through the airport much quicker. Of course, if everyone does this the staff might need to put some cabin bags in the hold, but the worst this means is you’ll have to wait a little longer at the other end, they won’t charge you if they ask to check your bag (as long as it’s within the Ryanair cabin bag size and weight limit).
2. Purchase Ryanair’s ‘official’ cabin bag
Lots of shops stock ‘cabin approved’ hand luggage that are sized perfectly to fit within the baggage allowances of most major airlines. But if you want to be totally sure you won’t face any issues, you can actually buy from a range of cases from the Ryanair website that perfectly matches Ryanair’s cabin bag size rules. They’re made by Samsonite (so they’re likely to be good quality) and known as the ‘Ryanair Guaranteed Cabin Bags’. Of course there’s nothing to stop you using it on any other airlines as long as it fits with their own allowances! If you don’t fancy the Ryanair label, there’s plenty of alternatives around to fit any budget (and cabin!).
3. Arrive at the airport early
If there’s too many bags for the cabin, some passengers will be asked to check their hand luggage instead. If you arrive early, you have more chance of squeezing your cabin bags with you onto the plane. Ninety minutes to 2 hours is considered enough time for domestic and short-haul flights. If you’ve flown with Ryanair before you’ll know the queue at the gate isn’t always the most orderly, so the earlier you get there, the better. There’ll be the Priority Boarding passengers getting first pick of the overhead lockers, so the closer you are to them, the more chance you’ll have of getting your luggage on board. On the subject of arriving early, use the extra time to buy snacks because they’re usually on the pricey side on budget flights.
4. Share your (checked) luggage
If you’re traveling with a friend, share the load – and the price – if you have to check your larger hold all bags. Ryanair’s luggage charges are from around Dh80 in the low season and around Dh120 in the high season for 15kg (when you purchase the allowance when you book your flight). This 15kg covers you for two bags, and the higher fee will apply if you pay at the airport or change your booking. It starts at around Dh120 for the 20kg bag allowance. If you check in with a friend and you both have a 15kg allowance, you can use part of the other person’s allowance if you go over the 15kg by a couple of kilos, as long as the total doesn’t exceed 30kg. Note that you can’t ask a friend to check in your bag with theirs if you haven’t paid in advance, because Ryanair charges baggage fees per person.
5. Buy miniature
Travel-size doesn’t just apply to a smidgen of shampoo and a squirt of sun-cream; there’s now a huge array of miniature items you can pack for your holiday. Micro-fibre travel towels fold to barely bigger than a tissue, and mini hair straighteners take up half the space of a full-size pair. Remember the hand luggage liquid rules when you’re stocking up on travel toiletries – all travel liquid containers need to be 100ml or less if you’re taking them in your cabin baggage. Packing sensibly is key to avoiding any extra baggage charges; if you can’t get a smaller version of a certain item, think again whether you really need to take it? Could you buy it when you arrive instead?
6. Upgrade to Business Plus
Bumping up to Ryanair Business Plus is a good way of avoiding any hassle. Prices start from around Dh275 but the airline often has discounts or special offers to encourage passengers to upgrade. What are you paying for? Well, you can access the fast-track at security at 31 airports in Europe, including London Gatwick, Belfast and Edinburgh, priority boarding (so the guaranteed space for your carry on luggage) and better seats. The price also includes a checked baggage allowance of up to 20kg so you don’t need to worry about whether your luggage fits the Ryanair cabin baggage size limits. You could also try and bag yourself a free upgrade if you were feeling confident.
7. Carefully choose the Ryanair extras
Concentrate on what’s important to you when you’re choosing from your Ryanair pick-and-mix options. If you want allocated seats, do you want Priority seats with extra legroom for bigger cabin bags (from around Dh60) as opposed to the Standard Seats (Dh30)? If you don’t need a bigger cabin bag but you want to make sure it makes it into the cabin, buy a Priority Boarding ticket for an extra Dh20. See a list of all the Ryanair fees set out in a handy table here and select them at the time of booking to get the best savings.
8. Compare other budget airlines
Of course, Ryanair isn’t the only budget airline out there, so have a look at other European airlines. easyJet has similar size allowances to Ryanair but it doesn’t operate a weight restriction, while Flybe passengers are allowed an extra laptop bag or handbag stored underneath the seat in front.
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Published November 2016. Prices correct at the time of publication but may be subject to change and/or availability.
