Last week, my wife did an online pre flight boarding pass and the flight from Malaga went as planned (hand luggage only). Not the same coming back from Gatwick. They decided that the damn hand baggage was too big, so a load of hassel on the return journey.

Hi Elmodog - Ryanair have recently been clamping down on oversized/multiple hang baggage.

The reason is not to spoil our fun, its so that everyone gets the space they are entitled to for their one bag of the correct size in the overheads.

Also to enable efficient boarding - we have seen so many flights recently where the last few people to get on have had to submit their (within limits) bags to be chucked in the hold, because others, who managed to board first, have taken up the space with excess luggage. Rather selfish of them. Poor cabin staff, usually very small girls, have had to heave these huge bags about with great difficulty, trying their best to fit them in the cabin, and not once have I heard them complain, although they would be within their rights to have a moan under the circumstances. They are not employed to sort out passengers bags for them.

I can understand it might have come as a shock when your outbound journey was from a Spanish airport, as they are generally more relaxed but Ive seen a young couple actually refused boarding with excessively large bags.

We have just printed boarding passes this week and there is now a large banner at the foot stating "1 Cabin Baggage Only" and detailing what is permitted. This information, is of course, on the Ryanair website when you make your booking. Its clearly states that you have to put everything in the one bag, even purchases made airside in duty free. Hopefully, if passengers read it, there will be less hassle all round.

well duty free is few more Euros more then the supermarkets and shops .... pack it befor you flight .... and dont get cought out it one bag per person ... 15 kgs not the 30 kgs ....

Cabin baggage can be suplemented with a coat and rather large pockets, or as I did on the last flight, two coats, one over the other allowing more room in the case.

It will be like those Ryanair flights to ski resorts where all the skiers who are just going for the weekend, and therefore only need a few clothes packed in hand luggage, seem to be easily identifiable by the fact that they are wearing their ski jackets, trousers and ski/snowboard boots on the plane to keep the costs down lol!

WHY NOT? !!! - My friend needed help once when she was one of the 'last' on the plane... there seemed no room for her bag - up and down the plane she was. Eventually they helped (maybe, because if she'd taken any longer the flight would have been delayed). It's in their interests to help and should be part of the service in my opinion.

I still think if we were given seat numbers they'd be less hassle / less stress with queues and hand luggage... The NO SEAT ALLOCATION is there to create extra income with the Priority Booking System... which at Alicante seems to be as long a queue as the non-priority queue !!!

Ryanair's way of doing things generally creates stress and wastes our time.

extra 4 euros get you on faster , seats numbers ... that costs with boarding cards and staff at airports

Well Monarch allow you to select a seat online - has a diagram of the whole plain - clever stuff. So maybe Ryanair could update their system to do the same?

why do people actually struggle with cabin baggage? thats what the space under the seats is for as well.

So true... and much more appropriate when you're travelling with kids and need ready access to toys, books, etc etc only to realise they're three rows back above someone else's head!

Ryanair is only really worth considering at 20e return tax paid. That just about values the service at its true worth, its an awful experience.

I have a few flights booked at 20e return all in, any more & I´d go Easyjet.

Tops tips:

Wear the bulky heavy clothes
Fill your pockets
Arrive early
Take your own food & drink
Delouse yourself at first opportunity afterwards

Don´t give them any opportunity to take any more money off you!

Hope it helps, I treat it like a bus service & just pay the minimun if you are flexible on flights. Skyscanner even finds the cheapest days for you.

Cheers all

Poolbuy I'd appreciate it if you would de-louse yourself before you get on board, I dont want your lice thanks!

God I hope I don't sit next to you on a flight ... you will be the man who spills over two seats due to the fact that he is wearing all his clothes for his two week holiday in the UK lol!
Then produces a picnic hamper from the overhead locker (precise dimensions as per the Ryanair rule book) containing spare underpants and socks and a couple of chorizo sandwiches, and maybe even a bottle of Tizer to keep you going (you just can't buy that on board you know)...
But you are so right! Don't let them take a penny extra from you and you win hands-down Beat them at their own game!

Sorry for the type Poolboy!

Oh I give up! typo! My keyboard has a mind of its own.