Has anyone had difficulty--as in large fees, etc. when their overhead bag was one inch over the limit? One of our bags is stiff sided--not hard but not soft sided, has wheels and meets all size limits except it's 9 inches deep...not 8 inches. My Rick Steves canvas bag/backpak is also 9 inches deep but since it's soft I think it will be fine in the Ryan Air sizer as long as I don't stuff it. I've looked at multiple sites about Ryan Air fees and sometimes bags are rejected, etc. etc. so if we need to buy a new rolling bag--we will do that. Although one inch seems a bit much. Thanks for any experience with this. (We did purchase the priority seating and 2 cabin bags type ticket.)
Posted by
Ontario, Canada
4657 posts
They are strict. They weigh and measure. Is it cheaper to buy a new bag than pay for checked luggage?
Posted by
Edmonds, WA 🌨 ☂
11957 posts
Probably depends on the luck of the draw of what that day's gate agent is of a mind to do.
For folks to offer their 'best guess' it would help if you identified where he flight originates.
Posted by
OP
Durham
66 posts
We are flying from Catania to Naples. Then working our way to Sorrento. Had hoped to avoid a checked bag pickup at Naples--time saver. Yes, am calculating the checked bag fee vs (another) new bag. Cost wise the checked bag is cheaper if added ahead of flight day. And maybe Naples bag claim will be a reasonable time delay. Thanks for the ideas.
Posted by
San Diego, California, USA
1151 posts
I've only flown Ryan Air once but it feels like have such cheap fares because they make their money by fining you for breaking any of their rules. It honestly felt like they were just looking for something they could catch you out on.
I remember getting our boarding passes printed out for 10 cents each in the public library in Stow on the Wold because they would charge you 10 pounds if you didn't have your boarding pass printed out and you could only print it out within a few days of departure.
This was several years ago fly out of England so maybe it has changed but I would plan carefully when flying with them and assume someone is looking to catch you out on something.
My $.02,
=Tod
Posted by
Vienna, Austria
5513 posts
I have flown Ryanair 8 times in the past few months. Everyone brings small suitcases onto the plane and no one is measuring them. Mine is always too wide but the gate agents didn’t bat an eye. You’ll be fine.
Posted by
Bristol, UK
1455 posts
I would not bank on it being fine. Sometimes they don’t check, sometimes they do. I reckon it depends how much time they have, because obviously it slows things down checking every bag for size. If they check the size they do it by making you fit it into a cage, so if it’s a bag that can squash down you will be ok if you don’t fill it to the max.
Posted by
Paris
7312 posts
A soft bag can easily compress by an inch, and in my experience bags often get weighed (if you need to use the counter) but rarely get measured (gate agents sort of 'eyeball' them), especially since you'll have purchased the Priority+Cabin luggage package anyway (otherwise you cannot bring cabin luggage onboard !).
I would risk it. Buying a new bag feels wasteful, and good ones cost more than the €70-ish penalty.
Posted by
OP
Durham
66 posts
Thanks everyone for the information. The stiff sided bag is our concern. It’s compact but 9 inches deep. Adding it to the reservation now as a checked bag would be about $46. Just not sure if we should risk it. Seems arbitrary re who gets sized and fined. Emily’s experience is reassuring...will continue to ponder.