Irish passengers flying with Ryanair may soon benefit from an improved cabin baggage allowance at no additional cost.
At present, travellers on basic fares are only permitted one small personal item free of charge, with any extra cabin baggage incurring an additional fee, reports The Mirror.
However, recent changes at EU level have already compelled the airline to modestly increase the size of that complimentary bag. Passengers may now bring a personal item measuring up to 40 x 30 x 20cm — a 20% increase from the previous 40 x 20 x 25cm limit.
Further changes could also be on the horizon. In January, the European Parliament voted by a large majority to grant all passengers the right to carry a small case in addition to the complimentary underseat bags currently permitted, reports The Mirror.
Under the proposed plan, travellers would be entitled to bring one underseat item — such as a handbag, backpack or laptop — along with a second piece of hand luggage with combined dimensions of up to 100cm (length, width and height) and weighing no more than 7kg.
If passed, the rules would apply to all flights departing from or arriving into EU airports on EU-based airlines, meaning the vast majority of short-haul flights from Ireland would be impacted, reports The Mirror.
However, the proposals must still receive sign-off from the European Council before they can become law.
MEPs are also pushing for new regulations to ensure children under 12 are seated next to an accompanying adult at no extra cost, reports The Mirror.
Currently, Ryanair requires an adult travelling with children under 12 to reserve seats in order to guarantee they can sit together. A maximum of four children per adult on the same booking will receive a reserved seat free of charge.
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