Ryanair entered more than 13,400 million euros in 2024. Of them, 4,299 million euros had nothing to do with the explicit transport of passengers. That is, money that came from the “extras” that the company already offers those that must be folded if, for example, we want to fly with a cabin suitcase.
Michael O’Leary, his CEO, says what happens of them (and their money).
“I don’t want it”. “I don’t want any suitcase money. I prefer passengers to fly without suitcases.” O’Leary’s words have resonated in Dublin (Ireland), during a meeting with journalists, as he has collected elDiario.es.
In the talk he was asked about the internal conflicts of Europe and those who are facing the airline on the occasion of the hand or cabin suitcase. That for which Ryanair charges an extra, for which he sanctions those who have not billed and exceeds his limits and, above all, that same that Ryanair wants to eliminate.
The costs. During his talk, O’Leary has insisted that suitcases cost him too much money because “we have people used to put our bags on the plane, the plane weighs more and consume more fuel.” Before taking into account the fuel, Ryanair figure the cost of a passenger at 34 euros, according to an internal slide projected in Milan and exposed by The Flight Club.
That cost is more compensated with each invoiced suitcase … or not invoiced, although its CEO ensures that it would prefer that passengers forget it. To keep it in mind, bill a suitcase of up to 10 kg (allowed in free cabin by other companies) costs Ryanair between 23.99 and 44.99 euros.
But if the passenger has not chosen this option in his ticket and exceeds the measures agreed by the company, the cost of sending the luggage to the winery will be 46 euros in the best case. In fact, it could reach 60 euros, as reflected on their own website.
A business. As my partner Javier Lacort explained in this exhaustive analysis of the company, Ryanair does not make money with the flight itself. Your business is in everything that orbits around the plane ticket, from the billing of the suitcase to the soda that is taken on board, through the choice of seat or commissions to hire on its website services such as hotels or rental cars.
And to this we must add that the company punishes very hard to whom the rules skip. Not only on the occasion of hand luggage, but also if the client behaves badly or, simply, he has not made the billing at home. Very soon he wants to charge us if we do not wear our ticket on the mobile phone.
An open battle. O’Leary’s statements come just when the debate on the hand suitcase is more open than ever. A few days ago, the Council of Europe took a step forward to impose minimum measures in the hand luggage allowed by airlines. The problem is extremely concise and coincide with the proposal of the airlines low cost.
The road seemed marked but the European Parliament has taken the opposite direction and its proposal is to significantly increase the measures agreed in the other European institution. To move forward a regulation in which the minimum measures allowed are explained, it is necessary for both parties to reach a final agreement.
Some changes. At the same time, Ryanair has made a very slight concession. Since this summer, they will allow handbill with a maximum size of 40 X 30 x 20 cm, after the Airlines For Europe (A4E) association, which Ryanair is a member, sign an agreement so that the minimum of the suitcases admitted as hand luggage is 40 × 30 × 15 cm.
Until now, Ryanair allowed access with packages of up to 40 x 25 x 20 cm. With the agreement, it will maintain the depth and height but let the suitcases be five wider cenimeters. This, according to BBCIt will allow expanding the capacity of the backpack in four liters, moving from the current 20 liters to a maximum of 24 liters.
Yes, but. This change is not accidental. Those 40 × 30 × 15 cm to which the members of Airlines For Europe (A4E) are committed coincides with the proposal of the European Parliament, which wants the suitcase for free but the proposed measures are, as we have seen, almost traced to which Ryanair already applied, so it is understood as a sample of good will to the changes.
The Council of Europe opted for hand luggage although the measures proposed to travel with him in the cabin are exactly the same. That is, what Ryanair is doing is simply adapting to what seems to be the new standard. Thus demonstrates good will and facilitates understanding.
Meanwhile… Meanwhile, at least in Spain, we live in a limbo. Because justice is not completely clear whether or not we can travel with a suitcase superior to the measures that Ryanair demands. In current regulations there is talk of a lump that allows “essential” luggage but exact measures are not mentioned.
That has caused some judgments in our country to have the aim of the airline and others, however, they have chosen to strengthen the thesis of the users. The government is clear about its position: it is illegal what Ryanair is doing and that is why he has fined it.
Foto | Polish presidency of the Council of the EU 2025 y Giorgios Savidis
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