By Dayo Ade Olusola | Travel News | July 21, 2025
Ryanair has confirmed that its frontline staff are paid a commission for charging passengers with oversized carry-on bags, and may increase the payment as part of a broader effort to enforce baggage rules more strictly.
The low-cost airline revealed that employees currently receive €1.50 per oversized bag they process. This follows reports that the airline previously denied adopting a harsher stance on hand luggage dimensions.
According to The Sunday Times, the monthly commission staff can earn is capped at approximately €80. Ryanair acknowledged the scheme and said it reflects a push to stop rule-breaking passengers.
“We are determined to eliminate the scourge of oversized bags,” a Ryanair spokesperson said, emphasising that most passengers adhere to the airline’s carry-on policy.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary rejected a new European Parliament proposal that would allow all passengers to bring a 7kg carry-on bag plus a small personal item for free.
He insisted that allowing that volume of luggage would be unworkable. “We’re already struggling with current baggage levels,” O’Leary said, noting that only half of passengers can currently carry two bags due to space constraints.
“That’s one of the reasons we are so aggressive about eliminating the scourge of passengers with excess baggage,” he added.
O’Leary said a major annoyance for other travellers comes from people attempting to bypass the bag sizing requirements. “Passengers try to argue their rucksack fits when it clearly doesn’t,” he said. “If it doesn’t fit, it’s not getting on.”
He also highlighted that 99.9% of Ryanair customers comply with its rules, with only a “tiny minority” incurring penalties.
Looking ahead, O’Leary said the airline is considering increasing the staff commission per oversized bag to further reduce non-compliance.
Under Ryanair’s policy, passengers may bring one small personal bag that fits under the seat. They can pay to bring a 10kg cabin bag or checked luggage if needed.
If either bag fails to meet size limits at the gate, passengers must pay a fee to check it into the hold. This fee varies by destination and ticket type.
The airline reiterated that oversized luggage slows down the boarding process and is unfair to rule-abiding passengers.
“We do pay commission to our agents who identify and charge for oversized bags,” Ryanair said, adding that “less than 0.1% of passengers” end up paying the fee.
“For the 99.9% who comply with our generous bag rules, we say thank you and keep flying,” the statement continued.
Ryanair recently announced that it would slightly increase the dimensions of the free personal item allowance from 40x25x20cm to 40x30x20cm. The maximum size for a 10kg cabin bag remains unchanged at 55x40x20cm.
The policy clarification comes as EU regulators consider reforms to passenger rights, with Ryanair among the carriers under scrutiny.
Despite speculation earlier this year, the airline maintains it has not toughened its baggage rules beyond standard enforcement.
Under current policy, passengers whose bags fail to meet size requirements must pay between €36 and €60 to check them.
Meanwhile, Ryanair posted a significant boost in its latest quarterly earnings, thanks in part to Easter holiday demand and a rise in ticket prices.
The airline reported after-tax profits of €820 million for the three months ending in June, more than double the €360 million recorded during the same period last year.
Revenue surged 20% to €4.34 billion. This increase was driven by stronger-than-expected demand, especially from last-minute travellers.
Ryanair said its average fare climbed 21% year-on-year to €51 per ticket.
This marks a rebound after the airline cut fares by 7% last financial year in response to cost-conscious consumers.
However, passenger growth has been limited by ongoing delays in Boeing aircraft deliveries. Ryanair carried 55.5 million passengers in Q1, a 4% rise from the previous year.
Despite robust summer bookings, Ryanair forecasts only a 3% annual passenger increase to 206 million for the full fiscal year.
The company has already revised down its annual growth targets multiple times, most recently in January, citing Boeing delivery setbacks.
O’Leary said fare increases would likely ease in the second quarter, even as travel demand stays strong.
“We cautiously expect to recover most of last year’s 7% fare decline,” he said. “This should result in solid profit growth in FY 2025–26.”
Still, he warned that results depend heavily on external factors such as trade tensions, geopolitical conflicts, air traffic strikes, and staffing issues across Europe.
