Cabin pressure - Ryanair tackles delays

WHILE Ryanair’s bagful of luggage allowance changes will do nothing to lift the airline’s popularity ratings — not something about which its boss will lose sleep — the move will be welcomed dourly by passengers for whom cutting the number of delayed flights and getting to destinations on time takes priority over travelling with far too much stuff.

But limiting the carry-on luggage “non-priority” passengers can have to just one small bag, thus eliminating some the delays caused when there’s no more space in the overhead lockers, is a modest step in the right direction that might not work in real life if more travellers decide simply to buy extra space by paying for priority passenger status. And the seemingly attractive changes in check-in allowances and costs — the bigger bags at lower fees will take more than €50m off Ryanair’s bottom line — is an invitation to passengers to pack far more than they will need for a week or two away.

More might need to be done to get across the message: Estimate the money you’ll need and double it, estimate the stuff you’ll need and halve it.