I also posted this under Airlines ...

I will be flying RyanAir from London (Stansed) to Belfast (BFS) for ($17 US). According to the RyanAir website, the maximum depth permitted for a carry-on bag is 20 cm., which equals 7.8 inches. All the other dimensions are in line with a standard rolling carry-on bag in the U.S. But all of my standard rolling bags have a depth of 9”.

Has anyone traveled on RyanAir with a U.S. standard-sized carry-on bag?

Ryanair is very strict. If your bag doesn't meet their requirements you will have to check (and pay for) it.

I truly think that these budget airlines like Ryanair have shares in luggage manufacturers. Ryanair actually produces a case which complies with its requirements:

https://www.travelluggagecabinbags.c...RoCQjMQAvD_BwE

the reason for this I think is that the overhead lockers are quite small, so the reduced dimensions allow the cases to fit in more easily.

it might be easier just to check the bag in and be done with it.

I fly FR couple of times a year and my hand luggage is slightly over the advertised dimensions and have never had an issue. I am always amazed at the sizes and shapes of hand luggage that makes it way onto the flight. I would not worry about 2-3" difference.

I keep reading that Ryanair is very strict, but I've never seen them weigh or measure anything. I wish they would. Usually, the ridiculously large bags they allow on the plane fill up all the luggage bins, and then they make me gate check my itty-bitty bag.

Pay a little more for Plus fare, which gives you priority boarding, check-in bag and guaranteed carry-on bag. You queue up in a different line at the gate and board first

DH does not want not fly RyanAir, but I think the Plus Fare seems perfect. It is still half the cost of a British Air flight.

We'll negotiate ... ;-)

It's hilarious that they offer their own brand of luggage! And it's only 17.99 pounds for both pieces!

Thank you for your responses.

The $17 may not be all you pay, so read the T&Cs carefully. If you show up without a printed boarding pass, for example, they will add charges.

I have flown with Ryanair several times and never had an issue travelling with my my Lowe Alpine TT40 carryon which is 56cm x 45cm x 25cm. Occasionally, when a flight is very full Ryanair have called for volunteers to put carryon bags into the hold at no charge.

I fly Ryanair quite a lot, and my personal observation would be that they stopped being very anal about bag sizes at boarding, i.e. when you access the waiting area at the gate.
It's not so much the actual size of the bag, but whether or not it fits into those frames they have to check sizes. If the bag can be squeezed in, fine. Solid carry-on bags (fiber, plastic, etc) that cannot be squeezed would have a problem at that point.


The procedure may vary by airports, but the standard procedure is that Ryanair has seperately "fenced in" waiting areas at the gates.
You "board", i.e. your BP gets scanned, when you access the waiting area.

At that point, bags may be checked (or not).
But at that point, bags are counted.

After 90 bags (or 89 or 92, I forgot the exact number), NO further bag is allowed (later) in the cabin but will be checked in (at no cost).
If you want to make 100pct sure not be seperated from your carry-on, get priority boarding.

Easyjet still does the call for voluteers, but since Ryanair started to count the bags, they don't.

When flying out of Stansted, check the express (train) for low fares when you book as far as possible in advance.
Otherwise you end up paying for the train than for the plane.

<<I fly FR couple of times a year and my hand luggage is slightly over the advertised dimensions and have never had an issue. I am always amazed at the sizes and shapes of hand luggage that makes it way onto the flight. I would not worry about 2-3" difference.>>

Odin, this reminds me of when we were departing from Naples airport [which is very swish, BTW] there was a young italian couple waiting at the departure gate with the biggest suitcase I've seen in a while. Not surprisingly they were told that they could not take it onto the plane as carry on and had to put it in the hold, presumably at some cost. But how had they got it that far? Why did no-one at the security check tell them that it was too big to go on the plane?

<<I keep reading that Ryanair is very strict, but I've never seen them weigh or measure anything. I wish they would. Usually, the ridiculously large bags they allow on the plane fill up all the luggage bins, and then they make me gate check my itty-bitty bag.>>

it irritates the hell out of me too, bvl, when people who are seated in the middle immediately place their bags in the overhead compartments as they get on the plane so that the passengers at the front have nowhere to put theirs. what is so difficult about putting your bag into the locker above your own seat?

That said I always check my main bag - I hate lugging a suitcase around the airport. So far [tempting fate here] I have never lost a bag.

You'll find that if you have another bag with the official bag, no matter what they refuse you the right to board. I've been on a flight recently where they just stopped half the flight and waited.... and waited until people repacked or threw stuff away.

But how had they got it that far? Why did no-one at the security check tell them that it was too big to go on the plane? >>

What does that have to do with security? that isn't their job, to police people's carryon sizes, which vary by airline anyway. Not to mention some things are gatechecked, and airlines are the ones who are supposed to police their own passengers at the boarding gate.

<<But how had they got it that far? Why did no-one at the security check tell them that it was too big to go on the plane?>>
It's a mystery how they get that far. Yesterday I flew AMSLHR on KL in economy and a lady next to me had one carry on bag, one large soft bag, 4 big plastic carrier bags and a big handbag all shoe horned into an overhead locker. Maybe she bought some stuff at the airport.The staff at the gate should have done something, esp as they announced that the flight was full and they wanted volunteers to put hand luggage in the hold at no cost.

And I dislike putting hand luggage in the hold, I have volunteered couple of times on BA and on all occasions the hand luggage was offloaded last, I'm the last one at the carousel waiting for my small hand luggage.

<<Not to mention some things are gatechecked.>> Not outside the US, gate checked luggage does not happen much IME.

<i>Pay a little more for Plus fare, which gives you priority boarding, check-in bag and guaranteed carry-on bag. You queue up in a different line at the gate and board first </i>

I'm sure that's why they don't measure the bags: they want you to pay the Plus fare next time.

By the way, I read recently that Ryanair was going back to the one-carryon-item rule, because people were carrying on too much stuff. So I wouldn't rush to buy that two-piece "carry on both" luggage set. Maybe that's why the price is reduced.

<i> That said I always check my main bag - I hate lugging a suitcase around the airport. So far [tempting fate here] I have never lost a bag.</i>

I'm with you on that, Annhig. My main bag is almost always carry-on size, but I check it anyway. I carry on a very small bag with the essentials for the next 24 hours or so.

I consider myself one of the world's champion light packers. One of my daughters said that my little suitcase is like the little clown car at the circus.

Well, always thought I was alone in checking my 22" but do the same for rhe same reasons. Not necessarily a light packer but have come a long way since the days of taking my large expandable suitcase, not so small duffle bag and large tote. Still amazed that I get so much in my 22".

Decades ago I arrived in the Cayman Islands, but my luggage did not. Assuming it would soon be found, I bought the bare necessities. The luggage never showed up, and I learned that I hadn’t needed 90% of what I had packed. Of course, it required rinsing out some clothing, but it was doable. Since then I’ve had luggage disappear two more times.

I now pride myself in being able to travel anywhere—and for any length of time—with carry-on. My crowning glory was a trip to Rome followed by a 10-day cruise that I did with only carry-on. It becomes more challenging when the destinations will be freezing, i.e., my upcoming trip, which will take me to London, Belfast, and Prague—all in March. I wear a travel vest with lots of pockets, my bulkiest shoes, and a sweater or sweatshirt that doubles as a pillow.

I know that being a man, it’s easier. I couldn’t care less about wearing the same thing several times. In contrast…my sister brings 11 blouses and six pairs of jeans to visit me for two weeks in Hawaii—despite know that I have a washer and dryer!

Anyway, for this upcoming trip, my other half is unwilling to add stress by taking a bag that is 1 or 2 inches over the limit. So, we will be checking our “carry-on” bags this time.

When I have traveled in Australia and other places where there is a strict weight limit on carry-on, I have always obsessively weighed things – and my bag has never been weighed!

What does that have to do with security? that isn't their job, to police people's carryon sizes, which vary by airline anyway.>>

trust me, this wasn't carry-on. I have no idea how they lifted it onto the moving belt to get it through security nor indeed how it fitted through the X-ray machine. It was enormous. I'm pretty certain that had they tried to get it past the people at the beginning of the security channel at any UK airport they'd have been referred to the check-in desk. I think that they were just utterly clueless and had never flown before, but they were on a steep learning curve.

bvl - I am not a particularly good packer. DH used to say that I ought to put away half of what I put out to pack, and then I'd only use ½ of what I took anyway. But it's knowing which ½ that's the problem!