Brits given 'free' extra bag hack warning as Ryanair pays staff to spot oversized luggage
Ryanair customers have been left fuming after it was announced the airline would increase its bonuses for staff who charge passengers for extra baggage.
If you've ever wondered why some Ryanair staff seem so eager to call you out for taking bags that are even slightly bigger than what you've paid for, there's a good reason.
That's because staff essentially get commission every time a passenger is charged for having larger bags.
Up until recently, the bonus was €1.50 (£1.29) per bag with a monthly limit of €80 (£68.95.) Now, it's going up to €2.50 (£2.15) and the limit is being scrapped, meaning staff could potentially intercept hundreds of passengers and make hundreds or even thousands on top of their salary.
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Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary said he 'made absolutely no apology' for encouraging staff to catch people who are 'scamming the system,' despite outrage from customers.
"I make absolutely no apology for it whatsoever," he said, as per Sky News.
"I am still mystified by the number of people with rucksacks who still think they're going to get through the gate and we won't notice the rucksack."
Given all the extras that Ryanair already charge for, many passengers have been left furious, with some even going as far as calling for boycotts on the budget airline.
But while the Irish company doubles down on policing hand luggage, one Reddit user has shared a cheeky little hack for getting through security with extra baggage.
Taking a Reddit thread where people were venting their frustrations at the Ryanair bag bonuses, one wise traveller wrote: "Just use a plastic bag from duty free to carry as much extra stuff as you want. One per passenger. Bring your own plastic bag, transfer to duty free plastic bag."
Mic drop. Genius.
For the most part, it does sound like a very clever hack. However, there are a few instances in which you'd need to be careful.
Some airlines seal duty free bags when someone has bought booze or cigarettes in an attempt to prevent them from trying to open them in the airport or on the plane. So, if you were to open the previously sealed bag, you could find yourself having it confiscated altogether.
Meanwhile, most airlines tend to treat duty-free bags as something additional on top of hand luggage; however, the official Ryanair rules do state that your duty-free free should be able to fit into your hand luggage allowance. In practice, it doesn't seem like a lot of Ryanair staff uphold this rule.
Someone else, who regularly uses this hack, commented: "Hey you're not supposed to tell everyone about that, you're ruining it for the rest of us!"
Emma Rosemurgey