RECENTLY, passengers flying from to or from Málaga Airport are reporting problems with the new Ryanair cabin bag sizers, which have rigid sides. Some people complain that, despite buying “Ryanair compliant bags” on e-commerce sites such as Amazon, the sizers are allegedly smaller than their predecessors. This is causing unexpected fines for discrepancies such as being 1-2cm over the “line”, wheels sticking out, and “bulging”.
However, the passengers’ suspicions might not be accurate. One TikToker, involved with baggage promotion, measured the sizers and said they are slightly above the stated 40x25x20 cm limits.
Bulges beware!
It seems that “bulging” might be an issue with the rigid bag sizer. Sad Alison Lewis of Órgiva: “Now, ‘fitting’ means not touching the yellow (delimitation) lines. Being inside means no bulging. I’ve not had an issue as I carry very little. However, every flight I’ve caught this year between London Stansted and Malaga, there have been passengers being charged 75e…. I mean every single flight!”
According to consumer orcanisation, FACUA – Consumers in Action, Ryanair was voted Worst Company of the Year 2024. The airline received 38.5% of votes. (Vodafone, CaixaBank and Endesa were also nominated.) FACUA is helping some consumers fight against “illegal” cabin bag charges.
So, what’s happening with the Ryanair cabin bag legal saga?
Ryanair and other low cost airlines are being targeted with legislation re cabin bags, and charging passengers for what should arguably be a right of carriage.
On September 2024, the Braga District Court in Portugal ruled that Ryanair charging additional fees for cabin baggage measuring up to 55x40x20 cm was illegal – a violation of consumer rights. The court ordered Ryanair to refund the passenger who brought the case, emphasising that hand luggage is an essential part of air travel and should not incur extra charges.
However, in October 2024, the same court reversed its decision. Ryanair welcomed the reversal (of course)! The airline said that the initial ruling was made without its presence, and without considering the European Court of Justice’s (ECJ) precedent in the “Vueling” case. This 2014 ECJ ruling stated that airlines can charge passengers for carrying extra bags, provided that the “carriage of passengers’ precious and indispensable items” (i.e. in a small, personal bag) is included in the fare.
The stance from Ryanair is that: “Ryanair allows each passenger to carry a generous (40 x 25 x 20 cm) personal bag on board free as part of its basic air fare, with the option to add extra bags for an optional fee… This policy promotes both low fares and consumer choice. If airlines were forced to include additional carry-on bags as part of the basic fare, it would reduce choice and drive-up air fares for all passengers, which would harm consumers.”
It would also remove the much-loathed frenzy in the cabin if hold bags (i.e. that you don’t ‘carry on’!) were made attractive again!
The story isn’t over yet. In May 2025, a court in Salamanca, Spain, ruled that Ryanair must refund €147 to a passenger for hand luggage charges incurred on five flights between 2019 and 2024. The judge again stated that hand luggage is an essential part of air travel and should not be subject to additional fees. This aligns with the 2014 ECJ judgement that hand luggage is an indispensable part of passenger transport, and not an optional extra.
Ryanair is unlikely to let that rest! Grey lines for airlines! Meanwhile, FACUA fights on. It has won five cabin baggage rulings, in recent months, against Ryanair and Vueling.
Where does that leave passengers – especially with bundled services?
At present, passengers are still paying extra for cabin bags and other “bundled services”, such as priority boarding and seat selection Ryanair’s current policies on bundled services are (arguably) compliant with existing EU regulations. Nobody is being forced to select Seat 1A because they want to disembark first (for example, the reporter is a big fan of front seats and would rather pay than be assigned to the middle!).
However, the recent Spanish court ruling may influence future legal interpretations and consumer protection initiatives within Spain. Passengers who believe they have been unfairly charged for a Ryanair cabin bag could seek compensation through channels such as FACUA (note that you must pay to become an associate first).
The rulings, to date, address charges for standard cabin bags. They don’t cover bundled services, or fines at the gate for taking oversized or additional bags. It could be argued, with bundles, that the passenger has deliberately opted into a range of services that aren’t to carry their “basic” toothbrush and a change of underwear!
Michael O Leary has a beef with the Spanish government
Unsurprisingly, Michael O’Leary – the controversial CEO of Ryanair – is beefing with the Spanish Ministry of Social Rights. This started in November 2024, when the department fined five airlines – Ryanair, Vueling, easyJet, Norwegian and Volotea – 179 million euros – for hand luggage fees and demanding extra payment to reserve adjacent seats for minors and dependent persons. Additionally, these airlines were castigated for disallowing cash payments at Spanish airports, for levying “disproportionate and abusive” fines to print boarding cards, and “misleading omissions of information and lack of clarity”.
Leary and the Spanish Airline Association (ALA) state that charging for hand luggage is legal because it is enshrined in EU Regulation 1008/2008: “Community air carriers and, on the basis of the principle of reciprocity, third country air carriers shall freely determine fares and rates for intra-Community air services”.
The same rulings are being cited by airlines and courts, in a complex situation that probably won’t be resolved any time soon!
Meanwhile, the Spanish Consumer Affairs Department justifies its position, citing the General Law for the Defence of Consumers and Users and the Spanish Air Navigation Law. In October 2023, the European Parliament proposed that the EC “harmonise” the standards amongst the 27 EU Member States.
Thus far, passengers haven’t seen much harmony! If anything, social media shows (anecdotally) that fights and altercations in the cabin are becoming more commonplace – possibly because passengers are wound-up before they board.
How to avoid Ryanair cabin bag fines
- Buy a cabin bag in person, in a physical store, so that you can take your tape measure. Some bags advertised as “compliant” on e-commerce sites clearly are not.
- Try to buy a cabin bag with detachable wheels, in case it falls foul of the sizer. Then, you can simply whip them off! Voila!
- Ensure that wheels don’t stick out from under the case. They should be neatly aligned – not like bumper ‘quad wheels’.
- If you ARE stopped by ground crew, remain calm. Shouting or swearing can lead to a fine, being deplaned, or placed on the dreaded “no fly list”.
- Remember that short-haul aircraft have an extremely short turn-around time at the gate. Politely dithering, slowly trying to adjust your case, or taking items out very slowly (if “bulging”), might lead to you being allowed through. The staff would probably tolerate your extra hoodie rather than lose a take-off slot.
- Consider smashing the wheels off the case if they don’t screw off. A new cabin bag costs less than a 75e fine!
- Video any problems with the bag sizer, and ground crew (don’t include people’s faces), and take their names.
- The UK tabloid press is avid for terrible baggage tales – enjoy getting in touch with them!