All I would say is that you have to change your frame of reference if you are using an LCC as distinct from a legacy carrier. Add extra time margins for arrival at the airport and processing (fewer check in desks), look at all the 'extras' that bump the fare up and the cost of paying by credit card, and the locations of the airports involved.

Then make your choice of route and carrier .................... and don't tie yourself down to deadlines either side of your trip.

And that's the problem with some airports... more than two years after the new rules were brought in there are still some airports where you can't buy water bottles after security (and where there are no facilities to have water bottles sealed to allow them through security).

I wouldn't rely on this. I've had mine weighed - and that was at STN. They DO do spot checks.

You may well have got away with taking an empty water bottle, but my understanding is that this is not allowed. The rules say that you are not allowed to take liquid containers that hold more than 100 ml, regardless of whether they are full or not. An empty water bottle is the same as one that is half full.

Do you have a source for this? Many times when I have passed through security in the US, UK and elsewhere, the security personnel specifically asked people to finish the contents of their water bottles etc so that the empty bottles could be brought through. The rules at http://www.tsa.gov/311/index.shtm are not clear either way, but I would be surprised if TSA employees were giving specific instructions to break the rules.

I personally don't mind easyJet. I find they fly to the more mainstream airports and it's RyanAir who fly to the middle of knowwhere.

As long as you know the rules you should be ok. It also depends where you're planning on visiting. You may find that LCCs serve airports nearer than the big boys!

I've had my hand luggage weighed by Ryanair too; it was 11kg and I was warned I had to reduce it to 10kg before I got to the gate.

Yes, it's the airline which sets the weight limit - 10 kg with Ryanair, unlimited with easyJet so long as you can hoist it into the overhead rack, various limits with other airlines.

Some believe their hand baggage was checked for weight by the airport. In practice, it's passengers with Ryanair BPs who sometimes get checked.

US rules and EU rules are slightly different. I understand that you can take empty bottles under US rules. I was told that any container capable of holding more than 100ml of liquids is not allowed under EU rules. Can't quote a source, but that's what I've been told.

Look here for the UK rules, as applied at BAA airports. Note, in particular the requirement that "the size of container must not exceed 100ml, regardless of the amount contained inside" (on p.1 under the 'food' heading).

Check Ryanair WEB Page for the following:


News Release
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

20.01.09
No Exceptions to Ryanair's Cabin Baggage Allowance

Ryanair, Europe�s largest and most punctual low fares airline, today (20th Jan) confirmed that there will be no exceptions to its passenger Cabin Baggage Allowance in response to the growing number of passengers carrying more than one piece of hand baggage and after one passenger attempted to carry FIVE items of hand luggage onboard an aircraft.

Ryanair�s generous free cabin baggage allowance, of 10kg per passenger, is restricted to one bag into which passengers must place all handbags, laptops etc. This policy is enforced across the network, to ensure fairness to all passengers.

Ryanair passengers who do not comply and present with more than one piece of hand luggage will be charged �/�30 at the departure gate and have their bag placed in the aircraft�s hold. Passengers can half this charge by opting to check-in a bag at the time of their booking or before they travel.

Ryanair highlighted its generous FREE 10kg cabin baggage allowance by releasing 1 million �/�10 seats for travel across its European network in February and March which are available for booking on www.ryanair.com before midnight Sunday 25th January.


Ryanair�s Stephen McNamara said:

�Ryanair�s generous cabin baggage allowance permits passengers to carry one piece of cabin baggage of up to 10kg onto our aircraft. Due to the large increase in passengers abusing this allowance Ryanair will now charge passengers for each additional piece of carry on luggage.

�Passengers are made clearly aware of their cabin allowance at the time of their booking and it is also printed on their online boarding cards. Passengers who are unable to place items into one bag and refuse to make the additional payments will not be permitted to travel. We are highlighting our 10kg one bag baggage policy by releasing 1million �/�10 seats for travel in February and March.�



Additional Information

Each passenger (excluding infants) is permitted to carry one piece (in total) of cabin baggage on board (free of charge). It should weigh no more than 10kg and not exceed the maximum dimensions of 55cm x 40cm x 20cm. Due to security restrictions, certain items cannot be carried in cabin baggage. We reserve the right to cancel any reservation without refund and deny boarding if a passenger arrives at the boarding gate with more than one item of cabin baggage or an item that exceeds the maximum dimensions. Infants do not qualify for a cabin baggage allowance (although a pram / buggy will be carried free of charge).

Following on from an earlier exchange about whether or not Ryanair weigh carry-ons... they have just announced a clampdown on the basis that too many people are abusing their carry-on allowance (which their press release describes as "generous"...)

It really irritates me that Ryanair make a virtue out of their cheeseparings . 'generous FREE' hand baggage allowance .............. they could talk their way to proving that black is white ............ grrrrrr

Well, yes, except that two people travelling together have a combined 20 kg allowance. Acceptable for a short journey of (say) a weekend or 2-3 days.

What bugs me is the free allowance of only 15 kg per person for checked baggage - for a check in fee, remember - and the huge amounts they charge for each kilo above that.

This would tend to imply that, as long as you fully consume your drink, you do not need to discard anything.
This is unfortunate... thanks for the heads up. 10kg should be enough for me, but 55x40x20cm is tiny.

That is true in US and the few Asian countries I've travel through. Not sure about Europe, but would think it would be the same. Of course one never knows about individual screeners making up their own rules

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