Low budget airlines Ryanair and Wizzair change cabin bag policy
The two low-budget airlines have made several changes in their cabin bag policy, as Origo.hu reports. In the near future, only those travellers will be allowed to take their cabin bags on board who buy priority tickets.
Following Ryanair’s infamous incidents recently, such as the cases of forgotten luggage and cancelled flights, the airline is now issuing changes to its cabin bag policy, along with Wizzair. Although passengers could already get used to changes regarding cabin bags, the new policy affects all travellers.
The main reason for the change is that too many people are arriving at the gate with cabin bags, which is a problem because there is limited space on board and the procedure often causes delays.
Ryanair: if you do not want to pay, do not bring a cabin bag
Ryanair announced in a statement that effective on reservations made from 1 September on, only one small bag is allowed on board without paying for the priority boarding tickets. Those who do not wish to purchase the ticket have to register their cabin bags at the check-in counters before take-off.
However, this procedure will cost EUR 8 when added at the reservation and EUR 10 when travelers only realize it at the airport.
Those with priority boarding tickets can take their bags on board just as before. This ticket is somewhat cheaper than checking in one’s luggage as it costs EUR 6 when added instantly to the reservation and EUR 8 when added later or only at the airport.
Besides, it will cost EUR 25 if the small bag allowed on board exceeds the maximum enabled size of 42 x 20 x 30.
According to Ryanair, the change will affect only 40 pc of passengers as others usually purchase priority boarding or come with a small bag. According to Ryanair, the restrictions effective from September are applicable due to the large number of passengers arriving at the gate with cabin bags, which slows down the procedure and causes delay.
Wizz Air: passengers can still drop their baggage free of charge
Wizz Air has already issued a few changes regarding cabin bags and priority boarding recently. Passengers without priority could drop off their bags at the check-in counters before boarding the plane, but without any obligations to do so.
From now on, travelers are obliged to check-in their cabin bags which are bigger than 40 x 30 x 18 cm but smaller than 55 x 40 x 23 cm, free of charge at the counters.
Despite the change in the policy, not everybody has been informed about the changes: some employees do not even know that passengers can no more arrive at the gate with their cabin bags without priority boarding pass. Similarly, the information sent via email following each reservation still contains the rules of the old procedure. It is also unclear what charges passengers who fail to drop their cabin bags at the check-in will have to face.
One thing is quite certain: either you travel with Ryanair or Wizzair, calculate more time and longer queues for your pre-flight stay at the airport.
Source: Origo.hu