Size matters for new Ryanair bag

HAND LUGGAGE:RYANAIR, the airline responsible for the exacting carry-on luggage standards now in place at most check-in desks, has launched a carry-on bag that, when properly packed, complies with its own carry-on bag weight and size restrictions.

The soft-sided wheelie bag, designed by Samsonite and weighing slightly more than three kilos will be available to buy online at ryanair.com but only in conjunction with the purchase of a flight. It costs €79 and will be delivered to your home address, anywhere in Europe.

So what’s it like? It’s surprisingly roomy and easy to manoeuvre. I managed to pack a week’s worth of clothes, including two pairs of trousers, two dresses, four tops, two pairs of sandals, a jacket and a bag of small size cosmetics. Its design won’t set the style set on fire but it offers the assurance of Samsonite’s repair warrantee and comes with inside straps to divide your garments.

And there’s one pocket to the rear for passport and boarding cards, which is handy, especially since your hand- or man-bag will already be stowed away inside to comply with Ryanair’s one piece of carry-on luggage regulation. Its downside is that the hand luggage is available in mid-management blue only and its canary yellow trim is standard. The bag comes with a choice of coloured bag tags. Surprisingly, these are included in the price. The colour combination may cause concern. Navy and yellow are, of course, Ryanair’s corporate colours. Might this be subliminal message advertising and if so shouldn’t we be getting paid to flaunt their chromatic communiqué?