Ryanair Baggage Allowance

[D6130]

My wife is flying with Ryanair from Roma Fiumicino to Athens the day after tomorrow at the start of a week's walking holiday in Greece. She has checked-in on line a few weeks ago and is aware of the baggage allowances and maximum dimensions, but we have come across a couple of potential problems while packing this evening, ready to take the train to Rome tomorrow.

Problem no. 1 is that her small cabin baggage rucksack is 1 cm too tall for the maximum dimensions permitted.

Problem no. 2 is that her telescoped walking poles are just too long to fit inside her checked wheelie bag.

With regard to problem no. 1, do you think that she could get away with it by squashing down the top slightly, which could possibly increase the front-to-back measurement over the permitted 25 cm allowance?

With regard to problem no. 2, my wife - being a tight Yorkshirewoman - thought that she may be able to strap her poles to the side of her wheelie bag using parcel tape....but looking at the Ryanair app it would seem that you have to pay 35 Euro each way - if booked in advance but, no doubt much more at the airport - for sports equipment, which includes fishing rods, but does not specify walking poles.

We haven't flown with Ryanair for more than five years - and do our utmost to avoid them if humanly possible - but in this case it was a necessity to enable her to connect with the rest of the group arriving from Heathrow by BA and then their onward transport to the holiday destination.

Could any experienced Ryanair travellers please advise as to whether she might get away with the 1 cm oversize rucksack and should she book-in the walking poles as additional luggage? Thanks in anticipation.

 

[yorkie]

I don't know about the walking poles but if the backpack does not appear to stand out when being worn, then being a mere 1cm too large won't be a problem as it won't get measured.

However if they see other issues, such as poles, then they may be checking the bag in greater detail.

If they suspect a bag may be too big, they put it into a holder and see if the bag protrodes.

I was with a forum member who was told his bag was too big a few weeks ago; he then removed his jacket from the bag and wore the jacket and was able to proceed after that.

 

[D6130]

I don't know about the walking poles but if the backpack does not appear to stand out when being worn, then being a mere 1cm too large won't be a problem as it won't get measured.

However if they see other issues, such as poles, then they may be checking the bag in greater detail.

If they suspect a bag may be too big, they put it into a holder and see if the bag protrodes.

I was with a forum member who was told his bag was too big a few weeks ago; he then removed his jacket from the bag and wore the jacket and was able to proceed after that.

Thanks for that. I think the solution will probably be to chance the rucksack, but cough up 70 Euro to check-in the poles.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Would it be cheaper to post the walking poles back home from Greece, so as to avoid any likely baggage fees?

 

[Cloud Strife]

Problem no. 1 is that her small cabin baggage rucksack is 1 cm too tall for the maximum dimensions permitted.

This is generally not an issue, Ryanair don't want delays caused by gate agents fussing over things like that. As long as it isn't quite blatantly over the luggage allowance, they won't bother you.

The walking poles are much more of an issue. They're likely to get damaged if they're simply strapped to the side, although as long as it's within the dimensions, Ryanair will accept them for carriage. But generally speaking, it's a case where it's probably better just to transport them as paid for sports equipment.

 

[Ediswan]

If the pair of walking poles I have is a guide, it is possible to break them down into shorter sections. Unwist more than normal until they can be pulled apart. HOWEVER, I can't guarantee that all models are so easy to put back together again.

Edited for clarity. Don't keep twisting until they fall apart, that would be hard to recover from.

 

[dangie]

I have the same problem with my walking poles. As suggested I have to pull each section apart to fit hem in my holdall bag. No matter which make they are they should come apart for cleaning so dismantling them shouldn’t be an issue.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Walking poles (as opposed to a traditional walking stick or similar mobility aid for a disabled person) are very likely to be rejected at security due to the sharp point they have. I would not attempt to carry them on unless they were ten quid ones that you could cope with losing.

The best approach might simply be to purchase some cheap ones at the destination and give them away at the end of the trip.

With regard to a rucksack being too big, it may be put in the sizer, so if it's just too big but will squash down that'll likely be fine (you can never guarantee it but it probably will be), but if it has a fixed frame that doesn't squash down so won't fit the sizer or will only fit diagonally you would be risking having to pay a check-in fee. The key is that it fits under the seat in front and that is of a fixed size.

 

[D6130]

Thanks for all the advice everyone. In the end, my wife grudgingly paid the 35€ each way, telescoped the poles, tied them together, wrapped them in a rolled-up plastic back tied-up with insulating tape and checked them in as oversized baggage. A wee bit unfair though that you can take a full set of golf clubs in an appropriate bag for 5€ less. Maybe that reflects Mr O'Leary's own sporting preference?

 

[SeanG]

How 'walking' do the poles look. Could they easily look like walking sticks for everyday use? Surely Ryanair cannot prohibit disability aids etc

 

[D6130]

How 'walking' do the poles look. Could they easily look like walking sticks for everyday use? Surely Ryanair cannot prohibit disability aids etc

No, they're proper high-quality three section lightweight walking poles. One of the men on the holiday has told my wife that he could probably pull them apart and fold them into three sections to fit inside her case for the return flight - but only if the sections are connected by internal chains. If they are not, she would be snookered. Anyway, she's paid for them both ways now, so lesson learned for the future....either avoid Ruinair if possible, or pay for priority boarding - which gives you a much greater cabin baggage allowance - if not.

 

[westv]

Are the walking poles actually needed?

 

[Bletchleyite]

How 'walking' do the poles look. Could they easily look like walking sticks for everyday use? Surely Ryanair cannot prohibit disability aids etc

Hiking poles have a metal spike on the bottom to aid in gripping rock. It's very unlikely these would get through security, unlike conventional walking aids designed for that purpose which don't. There is a rubber protector you can put over it but it'd still show up on the X-ray.

 

[Ediswan]

One of the men on the holiday has told my wife that he could probably pull them apart and fold them into three sections to fit inside her case for the return flight - but only if the sections are connected by internal chains.

That sounds like rumour to me. I have used sectional tent poles connected by chains, and elastic cord. But that is to help assemble them in the correct order, not part of the mechanism. They still fit together if/when the chain/cord has broken.

 

[Bletchleyite]

No, they're proper high-quality three section lightweight walking poles. One of the men on the holiday has told my wife that he could probably pull them apart and fold them into three sections to fit inside her case for the return flight - but only if the sections are connected by internal chains. If they are not, she would be snookered. Anyway, she's paid for them both ways now, so lesson learned for the future....either avoid Ruinair if possible, or pay for priority boarding - which gives you a much greater cabin baggage allowance - if not.

You won't be able to take metal-tipped hiking poles on as hand baggage whatever the allowance/airline. They would be considered a weapon by security. They would fit quite happily in a full sized hold bag (e.g. if you booked a 15kg trolley case/rucksack), which is how I've always carried mine by air - typically they're about a foot and a bit long when telescoped.

 

[D6130]

You won't be able to take metal-tipped hiking poles on as hand baggage whatever the allowance/airline. They would be considered a weapon by security. They would fit quite happily in a full sized hold bag (e.g. if you booked a 15kg trolley case/rucksack), which is how I've always carried mine by air - typically they're about a foot and a bit long when telescoped.

Correct....which is why she had hoped that they would fit inside her 10kg (Ryanair's maximum permitted without eye-watering additional fees) hold case. Unfortunately - and partially because of their large handles and plastic ferrule covers - they were too long to fit in the case....even when fully telescoped. Hence having to tie them together and wrap them in plastic, before checking them in as 'additional sporting equipment' along with her hold baggage.

Are the walking poles actually needed?

Absolutely....for a reasonably fit 66 year-old woman walking on steep, stony slopes in what turned out to be rather wet and windy conditions. All of the other nine people on the holiday had also brought their poles, but they had flown to Athens from Heathrow with British Airways....a whole different ball game!

 

[Bletchleyite]

Correct....which is why she had hoped that they would fit inside her 10kg (Ryanair's maximum permitted without eye-watering additional fees) hold case. Unfortunately - and partially because of their large handles and plastic ferrule covers - they were too long to fit in the case....even when fully telescoped. Hence having to tie them together and wrap them in plastic, before checking them in as 'additional sporting equipment' along with her hold baggage.

TBH I'd have just paid for a larger hold bag. I suspect the cost would be similar to your 10kg bag plus the sporting equipment fee, and you'd get to take more luggage.

The best approach for low cost airlines is to consider what luggage you need to take and price up (comparing BA etc too) at that level. Often it means BA is cheaper.

 

[D6130]

The best approach for low cost airlines is to consider what luggage you need to take and price up (comparing BA etc too) at that level. Often it means BA is cheaper.

In this case BA wasn't an option for us because the holiday took place while we were in residence at our house in Italy - making maximum use of the 90 day Schengen allowance - so we had to find flights from/to Italy which connected with the rest of the participants' BA flights from/to Heathrow, enabling my wife to use the transport to/from the island of Evia provided by the holiday company. Anyway, all done and dusted now and lessons learned for the future....which hopefully won't involve Ruinair!