Ryanair pledges to axe check-in luggage

People travelling with Ryanair will soon have to lug their suitcases through airport security, as the carrier has confirmed plans to scrap all check-in facilities.

The coach-style handling policy, which could be introduced as soon as next year, will see passengers haul their luggage right up to the tarmac beside the cargo hold.

Chief Executive Michael O'Leary insisted that the change will give "freedom" to its customers by liberalising baggage restrictions and eliminating queues.

"No more getting to check-in two hours before the flight. No more waiting in queues to check in bags. No more waiting to pick up baggage at the other side," the Ryanair boss said. "That's freedom."

As part of the strategy Ryanair's one-bag limit for carry-on luggage would be ditched, while fees for storing luggage in the hold could be slashed as low as £5 per item.

Mr O'Leary said the measures would enable Ryanair to reduce the number of baggage handlers per plane from five to one, saving it up to 30 million euros (£26 million) a year.

Other plans currently being considered by the no-frills airline include a charge for using on-board toilets and the introduction of in-flight gambling facilities.

© Cheapflights Ltd

Comments

[Colin]

Or is it just a bit of publicity from Ryanair? I'm really not sure I can see how this would work - carrying suitcases through passenger security check-points? Packing liquids and sharp items into the hold? Not gonna happen, this one.

[Malcolm]

How long before passengers are given an instruction book and told to fly the plane themselves?

[Geoff Pilkington]

Don't think the instruction book would be given, you would have to pay for it, and how much would he charge to look out of the front windows?

[Patrick Darby]

People will get fed up with this and a highly enterprising and innovative airline will come along and identify a potentially lucrative niche market from disgruntled passengers who want to get back to transparency in the airline industry, and just pay an all inclusive fare from the outset; with no hidden charges, incorporating both avoidable and non avoidable costs such as check in, bank card costs and assigned seating. They might even want to throw in free food as well as alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks.

Such an airline might even want to go as far as looking after you properly when things go wrong, and not try and dodge their responsibility, ditching you and leaving you to make your own arrangements to reach your final destination. I believe it will all go full circle in the end, and once something like this catches on, other airlines will want to compete and try and outdo each other in order to retain or increase market share.

Don't you remember when flying scheduled airlines used to be like this? If not, you must either be very young or have an extremely short memory.

[Misha harri]

Does this man sleep at night? He must lie awake thinking of what other money-making ideas he can next slam onto the public. Where is Richard Branson? Please Richard, bring on cheap European flights and kick this guy to the kerb! The way Michael O'Leary has trained his staff to treat handicapped people is just terrible. Perhaps now they will not only have to carry their luggage to the aircraft but wheel themselves along with it.