FLYING:RYANAIR HAS increased its fees for checked-in baggage during the summer months from €20 to €30 per bag and extended the period the increased charges apply by almost two months.
Last year the airline increased the charges associated with checking in bags in July and August from €15 to €20, and the period covered by the higher charges runs from June 1st to September 21st and from December 21st to January 4th.
Ryanair spokesman Stephen McNamara defended the extension of the time period the peak charges last and said that it was trying to hammer home the message that people should only travel with one bag of less than 10kg which they could carry on to a flight at no extra cost.
“We incentivise passengers to leave all unnecessary shoes, hair dryers and beach towels at home. Our most efficient packers are families who have long ago ditched the idea that everyone needs a checked in bag as they take full advantage of our free 10kg per passenger cabin bag,” he said.
“For those who do want to check in a bag we publish all baggage charges online, and highlight fees during the booking, with a reminder before people complete their purchase. This provides passengers with ample opportunity to consider if they really need to bring their novelty sombrero or if they want to reduce their fare even further by ditching the un-required luggage.”
The chief executive of the Consumers’ Association of Ireland, Dermott Jewell was unimpressed.
He said: “Every time Ryanair add one of these charges, they move further and further away from the low cost model they claim to be but people still fly with them because often there is no other game in town.” He said the extension of the time period when peak charges applied would be “punishing for families who must take bags, particularly for children”.
Jewell said Ryanair knew the group it is “taking the money from, which is what makes it so frustrating”.
Meanwhile, new figures show Ryanair ranks third in the world in terms of ancillary revenue. The airline, which pioneered luggage fees and priority boarding, earned 22 per cent of its revenue from ancillary sources last year.
It is only surpassed in the world by the two US no-frills carriers – Allegiant Air and Spirit Airlines. The other European carriers in the top 10 are easyJet and flybe.
The survey, carried out by Amadeus, found strong growth in ancillary charges in recent years as airlines make up lost revenue from the recession and increased fuel prices.