Families pay the price as Ryanair slash bag weights before they return home

By BECKY BARROW

Last updated at 22:00 27 October 2006

10pm

By Becky Barrow

Business Correspondent

Hundreds of thousands of holidaying families could be hit by a fine of more than £100 as a budget airline slashes their luggage weight limit - before they return home.

Ryanair will next week cut the amount of baggage passengers are allowed by a quarter.

But, farcically, holidaymakers who fly out before the November 1 deadline will still have to comply with the new 15 kg weight limit when they fly back.

Passengers on return flights - who have not been warned about the loophole - will then have to pay Ryanair excess baggage charges just to take back the same amount of luggage they took with them.

The no-frills airline risks furious scenes at airports when passengers try to check-in their bags when the rules come into force on Wednesday.

About 120,000 people fly with Ryanair every day and many have no idea about the new rules which could cost them a small fortune.

At present, each person can check-in 20kg of luggage but this will be cut to 15kg from 0:01am on Wednesday.

For example, if you fly to Barcelona today (sat) for a week's holiday, you can check-in 20kg of luggage - but you can only come back with 15kg.

The no-frills airline, which made profits of £230 million last year, insists there will be no leeway for passengers flying home from their holidays this week.

If people come back with too much luggage, they will have to pay the excess baggage fine, according to the airline famous for its ruthlessly frugal approach.

If a family of four, who each left Britain with 20kg of luggage, return with the same amount, they must pay £110 in excess baggage. Excess baggage is charged at £5.50, or the local currency equivalent, per kilogram.

It is a cruel blow for holidaymakers who have already been stung by Ryanair's new policy to charge everybody just to check-in a bag.

From March, it charges up to £7 per bag per one-way flight to check-in luggage, although hand baggage up to 10kg is still free.

The new rules come in the same week that Ryanair was voted the world's least favourite airline by a poll of about 4,000 travellers around the world.

Delays, unfriendly staff, uncomfortable seats and poor legroom were their biggest gripes, according to the survey by the travel website TripAdvisor.

Experts attacked Ryanair for deciding to instantly fine passengers from November 1, rather than giving them a chance to adjust to the new rules.

James Fremantle, industry affairs manager at the Air Transport Users' Council, said: 'Somebody should expect to pay the same for their baggage both ways on their holidays.

"It does appear unfair that passengers can pay excess baggage on the way back but not on the way out. This will be very confusing for passengers."

He said the consumer watchdog receives regular complaints about Ryanair's baggage policies, but pointed out the airline can do exactly what it likes.

There are no rules about luggage which means an airline can do exactly what it likes, including refusing to take any luggage at all.

Ryanair insists that it has been made clear to passengers since April that the new 15kg rule is going to be introduced in the autumn.

A spokesman for the Irish airline said:

"Passengers can bring lots of presents with them when they leave but they'll have to give them away before they come home."

He added: "I think most passengers are fully aware of the changes."

When people book their tickets on the internet, there is a message explaining the introduction of the new limit.

It says: "The Checked Baggage allowance is 20kg per person (15kg per person for all passengers travelling from the 1st November 2006 onwards).

But it is well-known that many people ignore the small print, and simply concentrate on booking and paying for the right flight.

A spokesman for the Association of British Travel Agents said he hoped that Ryanair had made the changes completely "transparent".

He said: "As long as it is made clear at the time of booking, rather than people catching a flight and facing a hefty charge, it is not a problem."

Several airlines are beginning to charge passengers to check-in bags.

Easyjet does not charge for the first bag, which can weigh up to 20kg, but charges £5 for a second bag to be checked-in at the airport.

Flybe charges £5 for each bag up to 25kg, or £2.50 if you pay in advance.

British Airways makes no charge, and still allows passengers to check-in up to 23kg, or 32kg on a long-haul flight, without any extra charge.