Ryanair’s new bag policy means passengers now have to pay extra to stand in longer queues
Most customers are now paying the extra fee, which is meant to give a queue jump, but this often isn't the case
RYANAIR passengers have complained that they are facing lengthy queues to get on the plane after a new policy forces them to pay extra for priority boarding if they want to bring a suitcase on board.
Customers have tweeted photos of the queues, bemoaning the fact that a majority of the plane now has to pay extra to wait in line.
Passenger Matt Charman tweeted a photo of a long queue, writing: “How can you advertise as priority boarding when over half the plane have so called ‘priority’”.
Meanwhile Dr Natalie Harrower tweeted another photo of a queue and wrote: “As expected, Ryanair’s new policy that you must purchase priority to get your small bag in the cabin = everyone books priority.
“Expect this to become the new 'normal' and something else to be removed for additional purchase. Successful but relentlessly irritating business plan.”
User Donna Imrie-Brown wrote: “What is the point of priority when everyone is priority?! Now just one long queue!”
Ben Verth wrote: “Priority on Ryanair means you get to stand outside in the winter the longest before they let you up the steps onto the plane.”
User @vidalouis1 complained: “You pay for 'priority' boarding so you don’t have to wait in queues right?! Well on my outbound flight and now again my inward flight, there is 1 staff with a priority queue not in use.”
Gurmukh Singh Neote posted: “@Ryanair your new #baggagepolicy makes a mockery of your "#Priority" queue.
“The priority queue in @ShannonAirport for #FR108 this evening is easily 5 times longer than the non priority #queue. So how has this helped other than rolling in more revenue for yourselves?”
From November 1 passengers have had to pay an extra £6 at the time of booking, or £8 if you add it on later, for priority boarding, which allows them to take luggage on board.
If they want to check a bag weighing up to 10kg into the hold then they will have to pay £8 at the time of booking, or £10 to add it on later.
It will cost £20 to add a bag to the hold at the check-in desk, or £25 if you wait until the boarding gate.
The only baggage that customers can now take onto the plane for free is a small handbag or a laptop.
The maximum dimensions for this item will be 40cm x 20cm x 25cm. If your bag is too big then you will have to pay an extra £25 fee to put it into the hold.
Before this, Ryanair customers who hadn’t paid for priority boarding could take a 10kg wheeled suitcase onto the plane for free but this is now a thing of the past.
MOST READ IN TRAVEL
Priority boarding is meant to give customers a chance to skip the queue, but as most people are now buying it to take luggage on board in many cases, they are effectively paying extra to stand in a long queue.
A spokesperson for Ryanair said: "We’ve already received lots of positive feedback from our customers and airports across Europe. Priority boarding is capped at 95 customers per flight (out of 189 customers)."
We previously revealed that passengers were left outraged after they were forced to pay £55 to check in at the airport after Ryanair's website crashed, leaving them with no other option.