Ryanair passenger’s bag sizer photo after £75 charge: Which? on your rights

Adam Binks posted a photo of his silver hard-shell suitcase sitting inside a Ryanair bag sizer back in May on X and asked how it could possibly be too big. He said he had just been charged £75 at the gate even though the case looked fully inside the frame. The post took off, picking up thousands of likes, hundreds of replies and millions of views as air passengers piled in with their own stories of last-minute fees.

Binks confirmed he later boarded the return leg with the same Rimowa case and faced no extra charge that time. His experience matches what plenty of people describe on social media: a bag that appears to fit the measuring rack at check-in or the gate, yet staff still treat it as oversized. Ryanair’s own rules require the whole bag (wheels, handles and all) to sit completely inside the sizer without force or anything sticking out. Official sizers are larger than the published limits, the airline says, so anything that fails the test is treated as well over the agreed size. (See Ryanair’s official bag policy and its note on the bigger free personal bag sizers rolled out in 2025.)

Come on @Ryanair how can this not fit? It’s fully in and I’ve just had to pay £75 because it fits! At least give us a retweet for the cash! https://t.co/gC0ycBRO9B

— Adam Binks (@Adambinks) May 29, 2026

What Which? recommends when staff say your bag is oversized

Consumer group Which? has looked at how budget airlines handle these checks and offers clear steps if you believe your bag complied with the allowance you booked. Measure every part of the bag meticulously at home before you leave, including wheels, handles, outside pockets and any bulging areas once it is packed. Soft-sided bags are easier to compress than rigid cases, and overstuffing is one of the main reasons bags fail at the gate.

If you are challenged, Which? suggests photographing the bag from every angle while it is in the sizer. That evidence can help if you later challenge the charge. Try repositioning the bag calmly (sometimes turning it or shifting contents makes the difference). Staff at the gate can still insist on a fee, especially on busy flights, and reports indicate some ground teams receive a small bonus for each oversized bag they identify, which can make checks feel stricter. Passengers have also commented that there have been stricter gate checks across Europe in 2026.

Fees typically run from £46 to £60 for an oversized under-seat personal bag and £70 to £75 for a larger cabin bag that exceeds the Priority allowance of 55 x 40 x 20 cm. Paying online or at the check-in desk beforehand is almost always cheaper than trying to argue about it at the boarding gate.

How to challenge a charge after the flight

Keep the receipt, your booking confirmation and any photos. Submit a complaint through Ryanair’s online feedback form with the evidence attached. If that does not resolve it, you can escalate to AviationADR, the CAA-approved free alternative dispute resolution scheme. Success is not guaranteed, as airlines often stand by the sizer result, but some passengers have managed to get refunds as goodwill after providing clear photos and measurements. (The CAA outlines how alternative dispute resolution works for air passengers.)

Spanish courts have previously ordered refunds in cases involving Ryanair hand-luggage charges that were judged unfair under local consumer rules, which may be relevant if your flight touched Spain. A Madrid court ruling set a precedent on Ryanair luggage fees. Consumer groups across Europe have also raised the issue of cabin-bag fees with regulators. European consumer organisations have accused several airlines, including Ryanair, of violating EU rules on hand baggage. In Spain, FACUA has repeatedly challenged Ryanair’s customer service practices.

Practical ways to reduce the risk next time

Check the exact allowance on your booking and measure the packed bag again the night before travel. Book Priority & 2 Cabin Bags in advance if you need the larger overhead case, rather than relying on the free under-seat item alone. Current free personal bag size is 40 x 30 x 20 cm. Soft bags designed to the precise dimensions, without rigid frames or protruding wheels, tend to pass more reliably, commenters suggest.

Gate fees form a noticeable part of budget airline revenue, so checks are unlikely to become more relaxed. Passengers who document everything and know the published sizes are better placed to argue their case or avoid the charge altogether. For the latest cabin-bag dimensions and fee table, Ryanair’s help pages remain the official source, while Which? keeps updated guides comparing rules across carriers.