Ryanair employees to receive cash bonuses for screening out oversized luggage

€1.50 bonus for every “catch”

According to The Guardian, Ryanair would pay staff members a bonus of around €1.50 (around 580 forints) for every case in which a passenger tries to board with an oversized hand luggage. The maximum monthly reward available could be €80 per person, or nearly 31 thousand forints. The aim of the reward is to encourage employees to remove rule breakers, and the company will also impose fines on the passengers concerned – this could be up to €75.

O’Leary: Most people are compliant

Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary says 99.9% of passengers already comply with hand luggage rules, particularly with the help of airport “sizing machines”. He added that while the number of cases is low, the airline aims to prevent an increase in violations by rewarding staff, especially during peak periods. He believes that overweight baggage fees will “decline in the next year or two”.

What’s in the free bag?

Ryanair’s current policy allows for one free piece of hand luggage with each ticket, measuring up to 40 x 20 x 25 centimetres and weighing up to 10 kilograms. In addition, a second piece of hand luggage or a larger suitcase can only be checked in for an additional fee. The airline can charge up to €75 for overweight or oversized luggage before take-off.