John Butler was travelling from Dublin to Lanzarote last month for a 10-day holiday with his wife and two children.
The 50-year-old sports therapist was about to board the plane when he was told by Ryanair staff that his and his son’s cabin bags were over the airline’s limit and owed £50 each.
After placing his carry-on bag into the sizer, John says he was shocked when the staff member insisted the material straps protruded slightly above the airline’s measuring container.
The dad-of-two began challenging the charge when the staff member allegedly warned his daughter that they would ‘not go on holiday if her father did not pay the fine’.
Fearing he would miss his flight, John reluctantly paid the £100 fine for both bags before requesting the colleague’s name – but she reportedly refused to give it and turned her name badge backwards.
The family were able to board the plane but have submitted a formal complaint against Ryanair following the incident and demands a refund.
However Ryanair have stood by the charges and claim he was ‘correctly charged’ the extra fees of £50 per bag as they ‘exceeded the permitted size’.
John said: “We get to the gate on time and are probably the last two or three people going in. The couple ahead of us are pulled aside about their bag being too big.
“I was standing there oblivious to what was going on. Then the next minute, I’m told ‘you step aside as well’.
“Myself, my wife, and two kids step aside and I’m still wondering what this is about.
“And she said you’re going to be charged €120 because your two bags are over. I said do you not have to weigh them or check them? How could they be?
“She told me to put mine and my son’s bag in the sizer. It was clearly obvious that it was fine but she said it’s not fine. She said the handle was above it and just kept insisting.
“And she turned to my daughter and said you won’t go on your holidays if your father doesn’t pay the fine.
“She said the gates are closed and she could open them if I pay, so I was left with no choice.
“I asked for her name but she turned the badge away so I couldn’t see it. It was very distressing.”
John believes the airline is operating a ‘money-making exercise’ despite luggage ‘clearly’ fitting inside Ryanair’s measuring containers.
The dad has since complained to the airline over the fee and behaviour of their staff member, and is demanding a refund and apology – but Ryanair insist the charges were correct.
John said: “On the plane, the air hostess and staff were all fantastic and all agreed it was totally wrong.
“It seems to be a common practice that if you’re the last few in the queue, you’re pulled aside and you’re very much threatened, which we were, and left with no choice but to pay.
“When we came back with Ryanair, with the exact same bag and same contents, no one even asked us about our bags. If it was one way surely it should be the other way.
“Not only it is in my view illegal that you have a practice where the bag clearly fits in the instrument you provided, but then you’re threatened into paying the money.
“This is just a money-making exercise. It’s wrong.”
Ryanair say the passenger was not ‘targeted’ by the gate agents because they were one of the last in the queue.
A Ryanair spokesperson said: “This passenger and his travelling companions booked a non-priority fare for this flight from Dublin to Lanzarote (31 Dec), which allowed them to carry a small personal bag onboard.
“Two of these bags exceeded the permitted size and they were correctly charged a standard gate baggage fee (€60) to place their oversized bags in the hold.”
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