Years and years ago I ran foul of Ryanair's baggage check at the boarding gate. The bag was only little shy of the limits, and as it was soft-sided a bit of silliness transferring stuff to a companions back-pack solved the problem. But it left me with a soured feeling about travelling with the airline.

A couple of recent posts suggest the new, customer-friendly, incarnation of Ryanair has softened its approach to cabin baggage. Is this really the case?

Depends what you mean by "softened". If you mean can you get away with what some people carry onboard on BA, then no.

In the last couple of years, Ryanair has allowed a second, albeit small, piece onboard, which made a big difference for me, as my small laptop bag has not met with any questions so far.

On the main cabin bag, the official dimensions are 55x40x20cm, though the sizer is a little more generous on the depth (the 20cm). There is a 10kg weight limit on that, but I haven't had mine weighed in quite a while (with the caveat that I only average 5-6 flights a year on FR). If they check and it doesn't go in the sizer, they will most likely enforce the rules and make you pay the appropriate fee. They will start gate checking after around 90 bags going on, if they think there won't be enough space. I avoid that by always buying priority boarding.

In short, probably a bit more flexibility than they showed last time you flew FR in terms of policies, if it was years ago, but if they decide you've gone over the line, don't really expect to be able to talk your way out of it.

You still need to keep within the cabin size guidelines and it has to fit into the sizers but I have rarely had it weighed/checked. Also last time I actually took a cabin case,Man bag and a large carrier bag and nothing was said. So they are more friendly but only so much.

As others have said, they check less often than previously. However they do still check bag sizes. Maybe one or two people per flight, instead of three quarters of the flight.

Simple solution is just to make sure your case is less than 55x40x20cm and don't overfill it. I have this case: http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Produc...er/9100073.htm It fits nicely into the sizing cage and seems to maximise the amount of space. I can easily fit five changes of day clothes, towel, a travel kettle and a pair of shoes into this case.

I know Bologna Airport previously experimented with an automated weighing and measuring machine (encased in a structure similar to an x-ray device) prior to entering security. If you baggage failed, you were denied entry to the security area and were directed to the ticket desk. Not sure if this is still the case or whether this machine has spread elsewhere.

Do they still frame-check the carry-ons of their business-class-type passengers? I thought we'd be above all that . I got one of the special offer ones (�29 instead of �59): but my bag is irritatingly a couple of centimetres out.

i feel a trip to Argos coming on ...

I cannot comment as my company only buys the standard tickets. As the size rules are the same, I would say yes, they could still check.

My preference is just to have a bag that I know fits, then don't need to try to evade "being caged" (as I've heard the process of having to put your bag in the sizing guage being called) at the gate.

No guarantee they won't check, though as mentioned above, I haven't been checked and have travelled on both types of ticket. If your bag is a couple of cm out in the depth and not too stuffed if soft-sided, it may still fit the FR sizer as they are a little more generous in that direction.

Thanks for the replies! I guess for peace of mind Brucey's approach is good for once-bitten worriers like me: the Argos deal is a small price to pay for a bag dedicated to Ryanair trips..

Indeed really not worth all the hassle of worrying each time if it will get checked or not.

Thanks for the thread. I've got a transatlantic ticket to DUB booked on Avios, and I'm thinking of continuing to the UK. But I'll need a "normal" amount of luggage for this trip: rollerboard and small "additional item." It sounds like the "new" Ryanair would work for me. And, jeez, some of their fares from DUB to the UK are truly DIRT cheap. Any reason not to do it? I will check my luggage sizes and not bring a large rollerboard.

Just done exactly that. Following sensible advice in this thread I bought a cheap wheeled case which matches Ryanair dimensions exactly and weighs only 1.5kg, and got an FR "business" fare to dublin for �27 one way EUR29 back. Miffed that no eyelids were batted at anyone's carry-ons (and some were way out of line )

Still i wasn't plagued by worries, so I'm happy at my �18 purchase from Argos.

So in your first post you were miffed that you fell foul of the luggage rules, and more recently miffed than no-one else ran foul of the luggage rules - FT logic!

A touch of Schadenfreude, too - having got myself into a safe and invulnerable position re FR's rules, I was (shamefully and smugly) expecting to see at least one miscreant have his over-sized bag consigned to the hold .

If the day job doesn't work out, I see a bright new future for you at Ryanair!!!

A Rollerboard is a skateboard.

I presume you mean a rollaboard - the type of luggage you can simply roll aboard the plane.

Stick within the limits, and book a seat in advance so you get priority boarding. You should be fine - they are quite good at spotting over-sized bags*, so you'll likely only be asked to put it into the sizer if it is actually larger than allowed. I've done a couple of hand-baggage only trips, with RyanAir, without issue. My only concern is the corporate laptop is a bit big for the limits they publish for the second bag - I tend to put this in the main bag (inside it's light laptop-bag) and carry a separate camera bag.

* Though a colleague of mine has a bag that looks over-sized, but isn't. He loves being asked to put his bag in the sizer. Life's small pleasures...