Ryanair Baggage Allowance 2026: Fares, Fees & Gate Rules

The Ryanair baggage allowance is simple enough in theory and surprisingly confusing in practice. I’ve flown Ryanair dozens of times — including one memorable Stansted gate experience I’d rather not repeat — so here’s everything you need to know before you book.

Ryanair Baggage Allowance at a Glance (2026)

Free bag (all fares): 40 x 30 x 20 cm, no weight limit, underseat only
Priority cabin bag: 55 x 40 x 20 cm, 10 kg max — requires Priority Boarding (£6–£36)
10 kg checked bag: from £9.49 online
20 kg checked bag: from £18.99 online
Gate fee for a non-compliant bag: £/€70–75
Regular fare includes Priority; Plus fare includes a 20 kg hold bag; Value fare includes neither

What Bag Do You Get Free on Ryanair?

Every Ryanair passenger gets one free underseat bag on every fare. As of summer 2025, the dimensions are 40 x 30 x 20 cm — roughly the size of a large backpack or small holdall.

The key word is underseat. Your free bag must fit under the seat in front of you, not in the overhead locker. There’s no weight limit: pack 7 kg into those dimensions and no one will say a word.

Ryanair increased the free bag from 40 x 25 x 20 cm to 40 x 30 x 20 cm in summer 2025 — an extra 5 cm of depth, around a 20% volume increase. If you’ve seen older articles quoting 40 x 25 x 20, they’re out of date.

How to Get Overhead Locker Access on Ryanair

To use the overhead locker, you need Priority Boarding. This adds a second cabin bag: 55 x 40 x 20 cm, maximum 10 kg.

Priority costs anywhere from £6 to £36 per person per one-way flight. For most UK–Europe routes, expect £12–20 each way.

Ryanair caps Priority at around 95 passengers per flight. On popular summer routes it does sell out — sometimes weeks before departure. Once it’s gone, overhead locker access is gone with it. Your fallback is to add a 10 kg checked bag for hold space and manage with the underseat bag in the cabin.

[INTERNAL LINK: how EasyJet’s cabin bag policy compares → EasyJet baggage allowance guide]

Is Priority Worth Buying?

For a long weekend with just a backpack, probably not. For a week away where you’re trying to avoid checked bag fees, almost certainly yes. Priority at £20 each way (£40 return) versus a 20 kg checked bag at £30–60+ each way — if you can fit everything in 55 x 40 x 20 cm, Priority usually comes out cheaper.

Ryanair’s Five Fare Types — What Baggage Each One Includes

This is where most people get caught out. The fare names sound intuitive; the baggage logic is not.

Fare	Underseat Bag	Priority + Overhead Bag	Checked Bag	Seat
Value	✅ 40x30x20, no weight limit	❌ Not included	❌ Not included	Not included
Regular	✅ 40x30x20	✅ 55x40x20, 10 kg (included)	❌ Not included	Standard assigned
Plus	✅ 40x30x20	❌ Not included	✅ 1 x 20 kg	Standard assigned
Family Plus	✅ 40x30x20 per person	❌ Not included	✅ 10 kg per person + 1 x 20 kg group bag	Free for children under 12
Flexi Plus	✅ 40x30x20	✅ 55x40x20, 10 kg (included)	❌ Must add separately	Any reserved seat

[INTERNAL LINK: how Ryanair’s cabin bag sizes compare to other UK airlines → UK airline carry-on size comparison]

The bits that catch people out:

Value is the bare-minimum fare — underseat bag only. No Priority, no checked bag. It’s the fare most people unknowingly book when chasing the lowest headline price, and the most common reason passengers get stung at the gate.
Regular includes Priority (overhead locker access) but not a checked bag.
Plus includes a 20 kg checked bag but not Priority. You’ll be queuing at the back without access to the overhead locker.
Flexi Plus includes Priority but not a checked bag, despite being the premium fare. Add hold luggage separately if you need it.

Which Fare Should You Choose?

Weekend trip, personal item only: Value — buy Priority separately if you want overhead space
Week away, cabin bag only: Regular (Priority included) — saves buying it as an add-on
Week away, need hold luggage: Plus (20 kg included) — buy Priority separately if you also want overhead access
Families with young children: Family Plus — per-person 10 kg bags plus a shared 20 kg group bag often work out cheaper than buying separately
Maximum flexibility: Flexi Plus — best for frequent or business travellers; add a hold bag separately if needed

Ryanair Baggage Fees — Full Price Reference 2026

Item	Online (at or after booking)	Airport
Priority + 2 cabin bags	£6–£36 per person, per one-way	Up to £60 (if available)
10 kg checked bag	£9.49–£44.99	Significantly more
20 kg checked bag	£18.99–£59.99	Significantly more
23 kg checked bag	Approx. £30–80 (limited availability)	Limited availability
Excess weight — checked bag	~£/€13 per kg over limit	—
Excess weight — Priority cabin bag	~£/€11 per kg over 10 kg	—
Gate bag fee (oversized or non-Priority overhead bag)	N/A — charged at gate	£/€70–75
Gate bag fee (pre-purchased check-in bag at gate instead of bag drop)	N/A	£/€46

All prices are indicative. Exact figures vary by route — verify before flying at ryanair.com/fees.

Add bags online. The gap between online and airport prices is substantial, and the gate is the most expensive option by some distance.

The 23 kg bag is aimed at passengers self-connecting onto airlines that use 23 kg as their standard allowance. It’s limited to one per passenger and must be purchased at booking.

Worth knowing: there are two excess weight rates, and they apply at different points. An overweight checked bag — one that exceeds its 10, 20, or 23 kg limit at the check-in desk — is charged at approximately £/€13 per kg. If your Priority cabin bag is over 10 kg when weighed at the gate, the rate is approximately £/€11 per kg. Different fees, different moments in the journey.

What Happens at the Gate

Ryanair enforces its bag policy harder than almost any other UK airline.

At most gates there’s a metal cage — the sizer. If your bag doesn’t drop in freely, it doesn’t pass. Hard-shell suitcases fail more often than soft bags because 1 cm over the nominal dimension is common with moulded cases; a soft holdall with the same volume usually clears without issue.

Since November 2025, gate staff earn €2.50 per non-compliant bag they catch, with no monthly cap. The previous rate was €1.50, capped at €80 per month. It’s a direct financial incentive to enforce, and it shows. Don’t assume they won’t look.

Gate fees run at two levels:

An oversized cabin bag, or an overhead-locker-sized bag without Priority: £/€70–75
A pre-purchased 10 kg check-in bag brought to the gate instead of bag drop: £/€46

One thing people forget: duty-free purchases travel free on top of your normal allowance on any fare. Keep them in the original shop bag and don’t count them against your free bag or Priority allowance.

One more thing to remember on full flights: Ryanair can gate-check Priority cabin bags into the hold when overhead space runs out. If that happens, your bag is inaccessible for the rest of the flight. Keep medication, documents, and anything you’ll need during the journey in the underseat bag.

If You’re Wrongly Charged at the Gate

Pay first. You cannot refuse and still board. Appeal afterwards.

Photograph your bag next to the sizer, and take tape-measure shots of the dimensions at the gate
Keep your boarding pass and the gate fee payment receipt
Submit a dispute via myRyanair Portal → Help/FAQs → Contact Us → Queries/Feedback → Fees I Was Charged → Airport Fees → Gate Bag
Ryanair responds within 28 days
If unsuccessful, escalate to AviationADR (aviationadr.org.uk) — a free, CAA-approved dispute resolution service that Ryanair is required to participate in. You can raise a case after receiving a final response from Ryanair, or after waiting 8 weeks without resolution

Photos taken at the gate showing your bag fits the sizer have resulted in successful refunds. Document everything in the moment.

How to Add a Bag to Your Ryanair Booking

If you forgot to add luggage at booking, or your plans have changed:

Log in to myRyanair at ryanair.com
Go to Manage Booking and select your trip
Add bags or Priority under Extras
Prices generally rise closer to departure — add early
The online window closes 2 hours before departure. After that, add at the airport check-in desk at a higher price. Never leave it to the gate.

Flying Ryanair with a Baby or Toddler

Ryanair’s infant baggage rules are more generous than many parents realise.

Lap infants (aged 8 days to 23 months) get one free baby bag — 45 x 35 x 20 cm, maximum 5 kg — in addition to the adult’s underseat bag allowance. You also get two free baby equipment items per child from: pushchair/buggy, car seat, booster seat, travel cot. Pushchairs can be used right to the aircraft steps and tagged for the hold there. For anything beyond those two items, an Infant/Child Equipment fee applies — approximately £15 online, £20 at the airport — covering up to 20 kg of additional gear.

A few rules worth knowing:

Infants must be at least 8 days old to fly
One infant per accompanying adult — two lap infants cannot travel with one adult
Infants sit on the adult’s lap (no seat purchased)

For a family holiday, Family Plus often works out the most economical fare — per-person 10 kg bags plus a shared 20 kg group bag, with free seat selection for children under 12.

Sports Equipment, Skis, Bikes and Surfboards

Most sports equipment travels in the hold, but it must be pre-booked. You cannot turn up at the airport with a surfboard and add it on the day.

Equipment	Online Fee	Airport Fee	Max Weight
Skis / snowboards	£/€45	£/€50	20 kg
Golf clubs	£/€30	£/€40	20 kg
Bicycle	£/€60	£/€75	30 kg
Surfboard / large sports item	£/€55	£/€65	20 kg
Other sports equipment	£/€30–55	£/€40–65	20 kg

Electric bicycles are not accepted. The lithium batteries they contain are prohibited on passenger aircraft regardless of battery state.

For skis and snowboards, book online as early as you can on peak winter routes — the airport fee is meaningfully higher. Surfboards must be pre-booked and the board bag’s total dimensions must not exceed 80 x 120 x 120 cm; longboards and shortboards are both accepted within those limits.

Musical Instruments — Cabin, Extra Seat, or Hold?

It depends on size.

Small instruments — a ukulele, violin, or anything that fits within 55 x 40 x 20 cm and weighs under 10 kg — travel onboard as your Priority cabin bag at no extra charge.

For a guitar, cello, or anything larger, you have two options. You can book an extra passenger seat with first name EXTRA, surname ITEM SEAT. The instrument travels strapped in next to you, stays out of the hold, and is the better choice for anything fragile or expensive. Or you can pay the sports/equipment fee (approximately £55 online) and check it into the hold. Maximum 20 kg, with the usual handling risks that come with hold baggage.

The extra-seat method is rarely mentioned but is officially supported by Ryanair.

Medical Equipment, CPAP Machines and Mobility Aids

CPAP machines can be carried onboard but cannot be used during the flight. If the device fits within your Priority cabin bag allowance (55 x 40 x 20 cm, 10 kg), no advance declaration is needed. If you need to carry it as an additional item beyond your normal allowance, contact Ryanair’s Special Assistance team beforehand for a medical baggage waiver letter. There’s no charge for medically necessary equipment, but you need approval before you get to the airport.

Passengers with reduced mobility get 2 mobility items free — powered wheelchair, manual wheelchair, scooter, or similar — plus any necessary medical equipment, also free. Electric wheelchairs must collapse to no more than 81 x 119 x 119 cm and weigh no more than 150 kg. Heavier items need pre-authorisation.

All special assistance needs 48 hours’ notice. Use the Special Assistance section on Ryanair’s website, not standard customer service.

Power Banks — Where They Must Go

Power banks and spare lithium batteries go in your underseat bag or on your person — not in the overhead locker, and never in checked baggage. The limits are 100 Wh per unit and up to 20 spare batteries or power banks total.

The wrinkle: if your Priority cabin bag is gate-checked into the hold on a full flight, you need to take the power bank out first. A power bank discovered in the hold can delay the flight. Pull it out before you get to the gate if there’s any chance the service is full.

Connecting Flights and Self-Transfers — the Baggage Trap

Ryanair does not transfer baggage between separate-ticket bookings. On a self-transfer connection, your checked bags will not automatically move to your next flight.

In practice that means: collect your bags from the belt, exit arrivals, re-check at the departures desk, go through security again. On a tight connection this can easily be the difference between making your next flight and missing it.

Travel cabin-bag-only on self-transfer itineraries. If everything fits in your underseat bag and Priority cabin bag, you walk straight to your next departure gate without touching baggage reclaim.

If Your Bag Is Lost or Delayed

Before you leave the baggage hall:

If your bag hasn’t appeared after a reasonable wait, go to the Lost Property Desk — don’t exit into arrivals first
Get a PIR (Property Irregularity Report). You cannot make a claim without one.
Photograph the PIR reference and any visible damage before leaving

After the airport:

Submit your claim at baggageclaims.ryanair.com
7 days to claim for damaged bags (from the date of travel)
21 days to claim for delayed bags (from the date the bag was returned)
Any bag not returned within 21 days is classified as lost

Ryanair processes delayed and damaged claims in 15 working days, lost bag claims in 28. Under the Montreal Convention, the maximum compensation for lost, delayed, or damaged baggage is 1,519 SDRs — currently around £1,500–1,900 depending on the exchange rate. Keep receipts for essentials bought during a delay (toiletries, medication, clothing), as these can be claimed back.

Ryanair vs Jet2 and British Airways: The Real Cost

The cheapest headline fare rarely stays cheapest once bags are added.

Take two adults flying London to Barcelona return, each wanting overhead locker access. Ryanair’s Priority at £12–20 each way adds up quickly across two passengers and two legs. Jet2 includes a free overhead cabin bag on every booking with no Priority fee. British Airways Economy Classic includes an overhead bag and a 23 kg hold bag per person. EasyJet sits somewhere in between — a free overhead cabin bag (56 x 45 x 25 cm) is included on every booking, but hold luggage costs extra.

Which? research has confirmed that on certain European routes, BA works out cheaper than Ryanair once bags are included. The comparison shifts by route and date, so it’s worth running the numbers before assuming the lowest headline fare is the lowest total.

[INTERNAL LINK: Ryanair vs EasyJet baggage comparison → EasyJet baggage allowance guide]

[INTERNAL LINK: Jet2 baggage allowance → Jet2 baggage allowance guide]

[INTERNAL LINK: British Airways baggage allowance → British Airways baggage allowance guide]

Key Tips for Flying Ryanair

Measure your bag including exterior pockets. A backpack with full side pockets can exceed 20 cm in depth without looking oversized.
Add bags online, not at the airport. The price difference is significant — and adding at the gate is the most expensive option of all.
Book Priority early. It sells out on busy routes. Once it’s gone, overhead locker access is gone.
Remove your power bank before the gate if there’s any chance your Priority bag will be gate-checked to the hold on a full flight.
Duty-free is always free. Carry it separately in the shop’s bag — don’t cram it into your allowance.
Soft bags pass the sizer more reliably than hard-shell. A soft holdall at exactly 40 x 30 x 20 cm tolerates minor bulges better than a rigid case of the same nominal size.
Photograph everything if challenged. If you believe your bag complies and you’re charged, document it at the gate — photos are your evidence for an appeal.
On self-transfers, go cabin-bag-only. Ryanair doesn’t interline bags between separate tickets. Checked luggage on a tight connection is a risk not worth taking.

Ryanair Baggage Allowance FAQ

Does Ryanair weigh the free underseat bag?

No. There is no weight limit on the free 40 x 30 x 20 cm bag. They check size at the gate, not weight.

Can I take a handbag as well as my free bag?

No. Ryanair allows one bag per passenger on the free allowance. A handbag counts as your one bag.

Can I take two bags on Ryanair without Priority?

No. Without Priority you get one bag only — the free 40 x 30 x 20 cm underseat bag. A second bag of any size requires Priority Boarding, otherwise it will be charged at the gate.

What if Priority is sold out?

You can still fly with your free underseat bag. The overhead locker access is gone. Adding a 10 kg checked bag gives you more total space if you need it.

Does the free bag have to go under the seat, or can I use the overhead if there’s space?

Officially, the free bag is underseat only. Overhead lockers are for Priority passengers. In practice this varies, but don’t rely on overhead space without Priority.

How strict is Ryanair with bag sizes?

Very. Gate staff use a metal bag sizer and since November 2025 earn €2.50 per non-compliant bag caught. Hard-shell cases fail more often than soft bags. Measure including exterior pockets before you travel.

What is the Ryanair gate fee in 2026?

£/€70–75 for an oversized cabin bag or a non-Priority passenger with an overhead-sized bag. £/€46 for a pre-purchased check-in bag brought to the gate instead of bag drop.

Can I take a pushchair for free on Ryanair?

Yes. Pushchairs count as one of the two free baby equipment items per child and can be used to the aircraft steps. No desk check-in required.

What happens if Ryanair loses my bag?

Report it at the Lost Property Desk before leaving the baggage hall and get a PIR reference. Then claim at baggageclaims.ryanair.com. Bags not returned within 21 days are classified as lost. Montreal Convention compensation applies — up to approximately 1,519 SDRs.

Can I bring skis or a surfboard on Ryanair?

Yes, in the hold, pre-booked online. Skis and snowboards cost £/€45 online; surfboards £/€55. Airport prices are higher. Electric bikes are not accepted.

What is the Time Saver bundle?

The Time Saver bundle combines Priority Boarding, 2 cabin bags (underseat + overhead), rows 1–5 seat selection, and Fast Track security where available. If you’re already paying for Priority and Fast Track separately, check whether the bundle undercuts that on your specific route — the price varies.