{"id":200516,"date":"2026-02-02T17:51:53","date_gmt":"2026-02-02T17:51:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/ryanair-and-other-low-cost-airlines-have-been-charging-you-for-carry-on-luggage-for-years-the-european-union-is-fed-up\/"},"modified":"2026-02-02T17:51:55","modified_gmt":"2026-02-02T17:51:55","slug":"ryanair-and-other-low-cost-airlines-have-been-charging-you-for-carry-on-luggage-for-years-the-european-union-is-fed-up","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/ryanair-and-other-low-cost-airlines-have-been-charging-you-for-carry-on-luggage-for-years-the-european-union-is-fed-up\/","title":{"rendered":"Ryanair and Other Low-Cost Airlines Have Been Charging You for Carry-On Luggage for Years: The European Union is Fed Up"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The Issue of Carry-On Luggage Fees in Europe<\/h2>\n

Low-cost airlines, often referred to as \u201ccheap airlines,\u201d primarily profit from charging for cabin luggage. A seemingly low fare from Ryanair or EasyJet can double when a small suitcase is added. This practice has sparked discontent among European users and prompted legislative attention aimed at reforming these charges.<\/p>\n

European Parliament Takes Steps<\/h3>\n

Recently, the European Parliament voted in favor<\/a> of legislation allowing passengers to carry one cabin bag weighing up to 7 kg without additional fees. This change, aimed at enhancing passenger rights, has elicited strong opposition from low-cost carriers, which deem it an “existential threat” to their business models. EasyJet, for instance, predicts this could lead to a 25% increase in ticket prices.<\/p>\n

Details of the Proposed Legislation<\/h3>\n

The legislative proposal allows each passenger to bring a personal item and one piece of hand luggage, both with a combined maximum dimension of 100 cm. This reform would apply to all flights involving EU airlines and is anticipated to undergo further scrutiny by the European Council before becoming law.<\/p>\n

Financial Implications of Baggage Fees<\/h2>\n

Bag fees represent a lucrative revenue stream for low-cost airlines. According to airline expert Jay Sorensen, European carriers collected $16 billion in baggage fees in 2025, with 60% of that amount going to low-cost airlines. These fees contribute significantly\u2014almost 20%\u2014to the total revenue of these airlines.<\/p>\n

Industry Reactions<\/h3>\n

Kenton Jarvis, CEO of EasyJet, has termed the legislative proposal a “lunatic idea,” arguing that the additional operational costs would ultimately be passed down to all passengers, even those traveling without luggage. Conversely, J\u00f3zsef V\u00e1radi, CEO of Wizz Air, asserts that consumers have become “much smarter” in navigating optional fees, suggesting that the current system can be managed without discomfort.<\/p>\n

The Operational Burden<\/h3>\n

Operating on a low-cost model necessitates minimizing ground time and fuel consumption. According to Augusto Ponte, an industry consultant, if each passenger added just 2 to 4 kg, a typical flight carrying 150 individuals could increase the aircraft’s weight by 500 kg. This could translate to an additional \u20ac15 to \u20ac20 in fuel costs per flight hour. For an airline like EasyJet, this could mean an extra \u20ac28 million in operating expenses annually, impacting their profitability significantly.<\/p>\n

Consumer Advocacy and Future Changes<\/h2>\n

Consumer rights advocates, such as Beuc, strongly support the Parliament’s proposals. They also recommend increasing the permitted cabin baggage weight to 10 kg, arguing that passengers have a reasonable expectation of having their hand luggage included in ticket prices. Agust\u00edn Reyna, Beuc\u2019s General Director, emphasizes that charging for luggage effectively makes it a luxury, which he views as unacceptable.<\/p>\n

The Path Ahead<\/h3>\n

Andrey Novakov, the Bulgarian MEP spearheading negotiations on this bill, aims for clarity and predictability in airline regulations while preserving consumer interests. The ongoing discussion around hand luggage fees highlights a critical intersection of consumer rights, airline practices, and legislative action.<\/p>\n

As this situation develops, it will be important for consumers to stay informed and advocate for their rights in an industry often characterized by additional fees and profit-driven policies.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n


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General News – 2<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Issue of Carry-On Luggage Fees in Europe Low-cost airlines, often referred to as \u201ccheap airlines,\u201d primarily profit from charging for cabin luggage. A seemingly low fare from Ryanair or EasyJet can double when a small suitcase is added. This practice has sparked discontent among European users and prompted legislative attention aimed at reforming these […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":200517,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36399],"tags":[12436,35737,9348,853,5336,39021,2927,37217,238,45],"class_list":["post-200516","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology","tag-airlines","tag-carryon","tag-charging","tag-european","tag-fed","tag-lowcost","tag-luggage","tag-ryanair","tag-union","tag-years"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/200516","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=200516"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/200516\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":200518,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/200516\/revisions\/200518"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/200517"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=200516"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=200516"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=200516"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}