Ryanair Hand Luggage Size: Fair Rule or £75 Trap for Passengers?

Ryanair's baggage rules are simple on paper.

Every passenger can bring one small personal bag measuring up to 40 × 30 × 20 cm for free, provided it fits under the seat in front. Ryanair increased this allowance in September 2025 and says it is now 33% larger than the EU minimum standard.

So far, so reasonable.

But the argument begins when somebody arrives at the gate with a bag that doesn't quite meet the rules.

Because the consequence can be brutal:

Bag too big? You could be charged up to £75 at the gate.

And there's another detail that makes passengers particularly angry.

Ryanair pays staff to catch oversized bags

Gate staff are financially rewarded for identifying luggage that breaks Ryanair's size rules.

The payment currently sits at around €2.50 for each oversized bag identified, after Ryanair increased the incentive from €1.50. CEO Michael O'Leary has openly defended the policy, arguing that passengers know the rules and that stricter enforcement helps boarding run more efficiently.

From Ryanair's perspective, the logic is straightforward:

The dimensions are published.

Passengers who follow them don't pay anything.

Passengers who bring larger bags should not get something for free that other travellers paid extra for.

Fair enough?

Maybe.

But imagine being the passenger on the other side of the argument.

£75 for a bag you've used dozens of times?

Earlier this month, a passenger travelling through Manchester Airport complained after being charged £75 for a carry-on bag she said she'd used successfully on more than 30 previous trips.

She argued that the bag fitted into the measuring frame and demanded a refund.

Ryanair disagreed, saying the luggage exceeded the permitted dimensions and that the charge was therefore correct.

And this is where the debate gets interesting.

If a bag is clearly enormous, most people would probably accept that the passenger is trying their luck.

But what about a bag that's only slightly too large?

A wheel sticking out?

A bulging pocket?

A soft backpack that can be squeezed under the seat?

Should that really trigger a charge that can cost more than the original flight?

Does paying staff per bag make the system feel different?

This is probably the part most likely to divide people.

If an employee receives money every time they identify a non-compliant bag, some passengers will inevitably wonder whether that creates the wrong incentive.

The airline sees it differently.

Ryanair argues that the incentive simply encourages staff to enforce rules that passengers already agreed to when buying their ticket. O'Leary has said he makes no apology for catching travellers who try to avoid paying for larger luggage.

And, according to reporting this year, stricter enforcement appears to be working: the proportion of passengers being caught with oversized bags has fallen significantly.

So perhaps passengers are simply learning to follow the rules.

Or perhaps they're terrified of being stung at the gate.

What is Ryanair's hand luggage size in 2026?

For anyone reading this because they're actually flying with Ryanair rather than because they're angry about it:

Free personal bag:
40 × 30 × 20 cm

It needs to fit under the seat in front.

If you want an additional cabin bag, you generally need to purchase the relevant baggage/Priority option.

Ryanair says passengers who exceed the permitted allowance can be required to pay the applicable gate baggage fee.

So if you're flying soon, measure the entire bag — including wheels, handles and anything sticking out.

Don't assume that because it was accepted last time, it will be accepted next time.

So who's actually in the wrong?

The case for Ryanair

The rules are published before you travel.

Millions of passengers manage to follow them.

Allowing oversized bags onboard without charge would be unfair to passengers who paid for larger baggage.

Smaller cabin bags also help boarding and aircraft turnaround times.

The case for angry passengers

A £75 charge can feel wildly disproportionate when a bag is only slightly too large.

Different levels of enforcement between airports or staff can make the system feel inconsistent.

Paying employees per oversized bag creates an obvious perception that staff benefit financially from catching people.

And when a cheap flight suddenly becomes dramatically more expensive at the boarding gate, passengers understandably feel trapped — because by that point, there's usually very little they can do.

Fair rule or money-making trap?

This is where we want your opinion.

If a passenger's bag is 1 or 2 cm too large, should Ryanair be entitled to charge them up to £75?

Or is the answer simply:

You agreed to the dimensions. Measure your bag properly.

And does knowing that gate staff receive money for every oversized bag they identify make you less comfortable with the policy — or does it make no difference at all?

Ryanair enforcing its rules fairly — or taking low-cost travel too far?

Share your view below.

Sources

• Ryanair — current free carry-on allowance and larger bag-sizer rollout

• The Guardian — Ryanair staff incentives for oversized cabin bags

• RTÉ — Ryanair baggage enforcement and staff commission

• Recent reporting on the August 2026 Manchester Airport £75 baggage dispute