I’ll admit it, I’ve definitely been guilty of turning up to the airport with a bag that’s slightly bigger than the airline’s allowance and hoping nobody notices. Haven’t we all?
But just how much can you get away with on Ryanair? And more importantly, how big does your bag have to be before someone actually stops you?
I decided to put this to the test. And rather than pushing my luck with an extra centimetre or two, I thought I would go all out.
Armed with four increasingly oversized bags, ranging from a 30-litre backpack to an enormous 80-litre holdall, I booked myself onto Ryanair flights between London Luton and Dublin to see just how strict the airline really is.
What is Ryanair's free small cabin baggage allowance?
Before I get into the experiment, a quick reminder of the rules I was deliberately ignoring.
Ryanair allows every passenger to bring one small bag measuring 40 x 30 x 20cm on board for free, which is typically sold as a 20-litre bag, provided it fits underneath the seat in front of them. Anything bigger and you’ll need to pay for extra baggage.
What is the fine if you take a bag that's too big on Ryanair?
If your bag is too big, you could be charged around £46 to £75 at the boarding gate, depending on the circumstances. Your bag may also be placed in the hold, or refused altogether if it can’t be accommodated- not exactly ideal when your flight probably cost less than the bag charge.
How does Ryanair check if your bag is too big?
You’ve probably seen those metal baggage sizers dotted around the airport. If Ryanair staff think your bag is oversized, they can ask you to put it inside one of these frames to check whether it meets the allowance.
And yes, everything counts, including handles, wheels and that front pocket you’ve stuffed with all the things that wouldn’t fit inside.
Where does Ryanair check your bag?
Ryanair can check your bag at different points throughout the airport, but the most common place to get caught out is at the boarding gate, just before you get on the plane.
This is where staff might ask you to pop your bag into one of those dreaded metal baggage sizers to check whether it fits within the allowance. And yes, even if you’ve made it through security without any issues, you’re not necessarily in the clear!
You might also spot baggage sizers around the check-in area, where you can test your bag before heading through security.
How often does Ryanair check bag sizes?
This is where things get interesting. Ryanair doesn’t check every single bag, and there doesn’t seem to be much consistency in who gets stopped.
Over the past couple of years, I’ve heard from more and more followers who’ve been caught out with oversized luggage. Some have been charged for bags that were only slightly too big, while others seem to have walked straight onto the plane carrying half their wardrobe.
And let’s not forget, Ryanair famously offers its gate staff bonuses for catching passengers with oversized bags.
Of course, these are just individual experiences, and it can vary depending on the airport, the flight and the staff on duty. But it got me wondering whether Ryanair really has become stricter, or whether getting caught is still largely down to luck.
So, naturally, I decided to risk my own money to find out- you’re welcome.
I Tested Four Oversized Bags on Ryanair
For this experiment, I decided to test four different bags on Ryanair flights between London Luton and Dublin, gradually increasing the size to see how far I could push my luck.
I started fairly sensibly with a 30L backpack, then moved up to 45L, 60L and finally a ridiculous 80L duffle bag.
And I wanted to keep things simple. There would be no hiding bags underneath oversized jumpers, no pretending I hadn’t noticed the baggage sizer and definitely no attempting to squeeze an 80L bag into a 24L space.
I was simply going to walk up to the gate, bag in full view, and see what happened.
1. The 30L Backpack
Lossga Easyjet Cabin Bag
£17.75
45 x 36 x 20cm
Firstly, I thought I’d ease myself into the experiment with a 30L backpack.
At first glance, it doesn’t look particularly outrageous, it’s probably the sort of bag you’d see plenty of people carrying through an airport. But considering Ryanair’s free allowance works out at a maximum theoretical capacity of 24 litres, this backpack offered around 25% more space.
Now, that doesn’t automatically mean it won’t fit in the sizer, as the actual dimensions and how full the bag is make a difference. But it was certainly pushing the limits.
I figured this would be a fairly easy one to get away with- famous last words?
What happened?
I started off feeling pretty confident with my 30L backpack, although it was already bigger than Ryanair’s free allowance. I walked up to the gate with the bag clearly on my back, half-expecting someone to stop me, but nobody batted an eyelid. I even offered to help a fellow passenger (hi John!) with his bags while boarding, and still nothing. I made it onto the plane without being asked to use the baggage sizer or paying a penny extra.
One down, three to go!
2. The 45L Patagonia Backpack
Patagonia Black Hole MLC 45L
£200
56 x 37 x 19cm
Feeling a little more ambitious, I moved on to my 45L Patagonia backpack.
This is actually a really handy travel bag. It’s got loads of room, it’s comfortable to carry and it’s the sort of thing I would happily take away for a long weekend without needing another suitcase. The only slight problem? It’s almost twice the theoretical capacity of Ryanair’s free baggage allowance.
So, while it might be a brilliant travel backpack, it’s definitely not what Ryanair has in mind when it says ‘small personal bag’. Still, I was curious. Would staff take one look at it and send me straight to the baggage sizer, or would I somehow manage to stroll through?
What happened?
Feeling a little too confident after my first success, I decided to up the stakes with a 45L backpack. This time, I recruited James as a willing volunteer, whose grand strategy for getting past Ryanair’s boarding staff was simply to ‘be nice’.
Despite carrying a bag almost twice the capacity of Ryanair’s free allowance, James strolled straight through the gate without being stopped and even managed to squeeze it underneath the seat in front of him. Another oversized bag, another free pass.
At this point, I was beginning to wonder whether we’d ever get caught?
3. The 60L North Face Duffel Bag
The North Face Base Camp Voyager Duffel
£94.50
68 x 40.6 x 31.6cm
For my third test, I brought along a North Face duffel bag with a capacity of around 60 litres. To put that into perspective, that’s roughly two and a half times the theoretical volume of Ryanair’s free bag allowance. And unlike the first two backpacks, this wasn’t exactly subtle.
At this point, I was fully expecting someone to stop me. I mean, surely there’s only so much you can get away with?
What happened?
Now things were getting ridiculous. My 60L North Face bag was so big that even I was convinced this would be the one to get us caught. I once again recruited my personal tester James to volunteer, and he admitted he was genuinely worried about being stopped. But despite the bag being clearly oversized, he sailed through the gate without anyone asking to measure it. No baggage sizer, no awkward conversation and, most importantly, no fine.
Three out of three! ….surely our luck couldn’t last much longer?
4. The 80L Lululemon Big-Ass Bag
Lululemon Big-Ass Bag 80L
£228 (!)
56 x 32 x 83cm
And finally, the one I’d been both looking forward to and slightly dreading.
The Lululemon Big-Ass Bag. Yes, that’s genuinely what it’s called, and honestly, I couldn’t think of a more appropriate name. At a whopping 80 litres, this thing has more than three times the theoretical capacity of Ryanair’s free baggage allowance. This was an enormous holdall that looked like it had absolutely no business being anywhere near the cabin of a Ryanair flight.
And yet, there I was, preparing to walk up to the boarding gate with it as though this was a completely normal thing to do. I’d already pushed my luck with the other bags, but surely this would be the one that finally got me caught?
What happened?
By this point, I was convinced my luck had to run out. And to make matters worse, I spotted other passengers having their bags checked at the gate. Surely I was next?
I was genuinely starting to panic about how much this experiment might cost me, but somehow, despite carrying a bag that was impossible to miss, I walked straight through without being stopped- the relief was unreal!
Four oversized attempts, zero charges. Ryanair, you’ve been very kind to us.
So, how strict is Ryanair with oversized bags?
Well, I think it’s safe to say this experiment was an interesting one, I managed to get away with bringing luggage that was considerably bigger than the airline’s free allowance. So, did I beat Ryanair? Technically, yes. But would I recommend trying it yourself? Probably not.
While I managed to get through with some seriously oversized bags, I also saw plenty of passengers having their luggage checked at Dublin Airport. And that’s what makes the whole thing so unpredictable.
You could walk onto one flight with a bag that’s clearly too big and nobody bats an eyelid, only to be stopped on your next flight with something much smaller. It really does seem to come down to who’s working at the gate, how closely they’re checking bags and, frankly, a bit of luck.
My verdict? You might get away with it, but is it worth the gamble? I’ll leave that one up to you!
