Ryanair boosts staff bonuses for catching oversized bags

"As the numbers fall, I think we will up the rate of commission."

In an bid to reinforce its baggage policy, the airline CEO said there will be an increase in commission given to staff who catch bags exceeding the permitted dimensions and charge passengers carrying them.

Currently, if your bags do not fit the dimensions set by the airline, you are charged €75 at the gate prior to boarding the plane, and for every bag found not to fit, staff receive €2.50.

According to The Times, the proposed increase could add a full euro to the payment, with staff set to receive a €3.50 bonus for every oversized bag they catch.

This bonus was already raised in November of last year from €1.50 to €2.50.

The incentive likely comes after O'Leary revealed that the number of passengers being caught out had actually fallen since it emerged that staff were being financially rewarded for checking baggage.

"The number of outsized bags is falling from, I don't know, 0.0001 [per cent] to 0.00001. As the numbers fall, I think we will up the rate of commission, from €2.50 to €3.50 or so. Everybody must know, do not show up with a bag that doesn't fit in the sizer because you will be charged."

What are Ryanair's bag rules?

Ryanair's basic fare includes one small personal bag that must fit under the seat with dimensions of 40 x 30 x 20cm.

Additional cabin bags can be purchased and weigh up to 10kg, be 55 x 40 x 20cm and fit in the overhead locker.

O'Leary further revealed that around 200,000 travellers end up paying additional baggage fees each year, adding he has little sympathy for 'chancers' attempting to bring 'rucksacks' on board.

"We're the airline with the lowest air fares in Europe. Those are our rules. Please comply with the rules, as 99.9% of our 200 million passengers do, and you won't have any problem."

The CEO continued to maintain that if passengers 'comply with the bag rules then everyone will board faster' and will see 'fewer flight delays'.

This raise follows the Ryanair chief's call for alcohol to be banned in airport bars ahead of early morning flights.

Win €/£1,000 in our FREE Win-Lose-Draw Predictor
In the age of stats geeks, AI-generated Fantasy teams and nth-degree analysis, we've stripped football knowledge down to its most instinctual form: Win, Lose or Draw.

In JOE's new Premier League Win-Lose-Draw Predictor, you can prove your footballing nous up against your mates, while also being in with a chance of winning €1,000/£1,000 each week.

And if no users predict all results correctly, EVERY player who submitted an entry will be placed into a random prize draw for the €1,000/£1,000.

Two players came within an inch of winning the jackpot last week with 9/10 right - play below for this weekend's fixtures! It takes just a few minutes to enter...