Ryanair, in its usual fashion, defended its actions in a statement.
Flying with Irish ultra-low-cost airline Ryanair often comes with unexpected costs. A passenger recently learned this the hard way when she was charged £50 ($62) for a water bottle. Ruby Flanagan had booked a return non-priority ticket for $45 from London to Dublin. Traveling light, she carried only a backpack. However, on her return flight, staff flagged her bag for inspection. The issue? A metal water bottle tied to the top handle.
A Ryanair staff member tapped her on the shoulder at the gate and asked her to size her backpack. “That [the bottle] will need to go in the bag,” the staff member said. Flanagan hadn’t been asked to do this at London Stansted, but the staff insisted that everything must fit inside the bag. She complied, stuffing the bottle into her backpack, and returned to rescan her boarding pass. However, another staff member declared her bag too large and said she would need to pay to board. Unlike her departure flight, she couldn’t carry the bottle separately because it counted as a “second bag.”
Flanagan noted the rules were enforced inconsistently, as she saw other passengers carrying laptops and takeaway food in hand. Several other passengers on her flight faced similar issues, arguing unsuccessfully with staff that they had brought the same baggage on their outbound flights. As the gate officially closed, Flanagan relented and paid the charge, along with others who didn’t want to miss their flight. All received what she called a “yellow sticker of shame.” Reflecting on the experience, she realized it would have been cheaper to discard the bottle and buy a new one.
Continue Reading Article After Our Video
Recommended Fodor’s Video
“After landing, I dragged myself to my coach, filled in a complaint form with Ryanair about the charge, and explained in detail what had happened. In response, Ryanair opened by noting that I was ‘disputing a baggage fee charged for carrying a water bottle separate from your carry-on bag’ and then rejected my claim, regurgitating the exact wording from its baggage page on its website,” she said.
Flanagan, a journalist for The Mirror, also contacted Ryanair’s press team, who reiterated that the bottle needed to fit in her bag. “However, I have yet to find out how I can specifically add the water bottle carrier to my ticket going forward,” she added.
Ryanair, in its usual fashion, defended its actions in a statement, explaining that Flanagan had booked a Basic Fare, which allows only a small personal item on board. “This passenger attempted to board with an additional carry-on, and as it would not fit within their permitted bag, she was correctly required to pay a standard gate baggage fee (€60). Once payment was made, this passenger traveled on this flight from Dublin to Stansted (4 Feb).”
The Basic Fare is Ryanair’s cheapest ticket option, which includes just one personal item and a random seat assignment. Passengers who book this fare often find themselves in disputes with airline staff.
Last year, Ryanair updated its baggage policy, requiring passengers to pay between €20 and €60 for a cabin bag after booking their tickets. However, staff frequently pull passengers aside at the gate and impose additional charges if their bags don’t meet size requirements. In one instance, a father was charged £100 after staff deemed his two backpack straps too large. In another, a family paid £60 for a duffel bag that didn’t fit the sizer. Even when passengers believe they’ve been treated unfairly, Ryanair typically sides with its staff’s judgment.
Ryanair’s blasé attitude toward its policies is evident on X (formerly Twitter).
yes, Valentine’s Day is coming up
no, we will NOT sit you and your partner together for free
— Ryanair (@Ryanair) February 5, 2025
The airline’s website lists numerous optional fees, including charges for reissuing boarding passes, airport check-ins, infant fees, and child equipment.
Last year, Spain fined Ryanair €108 million for what it called abusive practices, including charging passengers for seating families together and for extra bags. Other airlines, such as EasyJet, Vueling, Norwegian, and Volotea, were also fined. Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary called the fines illegal and announced plans to challenge them.
Related: 5 Budget Airlines Hit With Massive Fines Over ‘Illicit Profit’
Since then, Ryanair and Spain have been feuding publicly. O’Leary referred to Spanish consumer rights minister Pablo Bustinduy as a “crazy communist minister” and, in a recent ad campaign announcing flash sales, depicted him as a clown. The airline has also cut routes from Spanish airports, citing “excessive airport charges,” while Spain’s airport operator Aena called the move “blackmail.”
A message to Minister Bustinduy 🤡 – scrap illegal bag fines in Spain‼️
From Madrid today, Michael O’Leary called on @pbustinduy to withdraw his illegal €179M bag fines in Spain, which are contrary to both EU law and the precedent ruling of the European Court of Justice in the… pic.twitter.com/mpm4Zeyijl
— Ryanair (@Ryanair) February 11, 2025
Ryanair has also made headlines for pursuing unruly passengers. Earlier this year, the airline sued a passenger for causing a disruption and is demanding €15,000 ($15,450) in damages.
