Passengers slam ‘disgusting’ new Ryanair luggage crackdown – despite boss saying it will make flights cheaper.

Passenger outrage over new Ryanair rules

According to The Sun: Passengers have expressed their anger following the announcement by Ryanair's CEO about a new initiative that allows company staff to identify travelers with oversized luggage.

According to reports, the low-cost airline plans to increase the incentive for its employees to €2.50 (£2.16) for each piece of large luggage found starting in November.

Ryanair passengers are unhappy with the airline's new oversized luggage initiativeAlamy Staff will receive unlimited bonuses for identifying oversized bags before boardingAlamy

After this announcement, dissatisfied passengers have been actively voicing their opinions on social media.

“This just reinforces why I don’t fly with Ryanair, this airline is too toxic.”

“Please stop, the price for luggage is ridiculous enough, this is pure greed and a disgusting way to treat your customers.”

“After 22 years of using their services, we decided that's enough. I'd rather take another 2-hour journey to fly with Aer Lingus or any other airline than deal with them again.”

Some have labeled the new policy as ‘nonsense’ and describe the check-in process with Ryanair as 'stressful,' even if their luggage complies with the norms.

Criticism also pertains to passengers being ‘still targeted by Ryanair,’ and employees ‘wrongly accusing’ them of exceeding allowable sizes.

At a press conference, CEO Michael O'Leary stated that he is “absolutely not sorry” for identifying people who “game the system.” He added that he is surprised by the number of passengers still attempting to bring backpacks on board while paying for the cheapest ticket.

Approximately 200,000 passengers annually pay extra fees for luggage at the boarding gates, so the airline has “a lot of work to do to deal with them.” Thus, Ryanair employees will receive financial incentives for identifying passengers with overloaded bags, and the cap on bonuses of €80 per month will be lifted.

Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary announced new rules in August 2025Getty

Passengers with oversized luggage attempting to check it will have to pay an additional fee of £75 if this is done at the gate.

Outrage over incentives for employees to identify overloaded bags continues, even though Michael O'Leary added that lower fares could appear in the near future.

With the addition of new aircraft to the fleet in the spring of next year, the company plans to increase the number of passengers, which is likely to lead to lower fares.

He noted in an interview with Reuters that the delivery of new planes would provide “more capacity,” and “we will fill that capacity by lowering airfares.”

In July, Ryanair updated the size limits for passengers' “personal bags,” changing the maximum size from 40x25x20 cm to 40x30x20 cm, adding 5 cm to the total dimensions.

The total capacity of bags is now 24 liters, whereas it was previously 20 liters.

Additionally, Ryanair has canceled flights to Spain, affecting one million passengers.

Ryanair employees will receive bonuses for stopping passengers with overloaded bagsAlamy The introduction of Ryanair's new initiative has sparked outrage among passengers who clearly feel that the new rules only reinforce the already controversial policies of the company. Consumers continue to protest against the additional costs of oversized luggage and await changes in fares. Against this backdrop, the new rules and potential fare reductions may provoke even more public debate.