Latest news with #OuraniaGeorgoutsakou
The Irish Sun
07-07-2025
- Business
- The Irish Sun
Ryanair issue new advice as they are set to INCREASE baggage allowance in just weeks in ‘bring more clarity' move
RYANAIR passengers are being warned of a huge new change that is set to come into place in weeks. As 2 Ryanair will make a move which is set to make passengers happy Credit: Getty Images - Getty 2 The airline is due to increase its baggage allowance Credit: Alamy The topic of Ryanair's baggage allowance has always been a contentious subject, with many passengers giving out on But now, the READ MORE IN TRAVEL The But now, European airlines have agreed to adopt a new minimum size for cabin luggage. This means that one of The new measurements allowed on board will soon be 40cm x 30cm x 20cm - which saw an increase from 25cm to 30cm. Most read in News Travel The volume will now be 24 litres. If the airline had adjusted their dimensions in accordance with the new minimum size, Ryanair would have had to cut 10 per cent in volume. At least 18 people injured after fire in Ryanair plane at Majorca airport as passengers abandon jet by clambering over wing This is because the newly announced European minimum bag size is now 40cm x 30cm x 15cm. But now, Ryanair passengers can enjoy a larger limit. It also means that anyone who has bought a Ryanair-compatible cabin bag will still be able to use it. Ourania Georgoutsakou, Ryanair's managing director, said: "This will align A4E members with the decision of member states made last month and bring more clarity to passengers across Europe. "From city-hoppers to family travellers, everyone will benefit from the same clear rule across our members' networks." It comes days after Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary called on EU Commission President, Ryanair said that in the first half of 2025, CEO "It makes no sense and is abundantly unfair on EU passengers and families going on
Irish Examiner
07-07-2025
- Business
- Irish Examiner
How has Ryanair changed its cabin baggage rule and will other airlines do it too?
For all but the most seasoned travellers the metal bag sizers used by budget airlines have become an instrument of fear due to the heavy financial penalty incurred if hand baggage is too big to fit. But as the summer holiday season gets under way there is some good news for those who struggle to travel light: Ryanair has announced it is increasing the size of the small 'personal' bag you can take in the cabin for free by 20%. This sounds unusually generous of Ryanair – is it? Yes. But it comes as airlines fall into line behind a new EU guaranteed bag size of 40cm by 30cm by 15cm. The current dimensions of the Ryanair free carry-on limit are 40cm by 25cm by 20cm. It is increasing them to 40cm by 30cm by 20cm. Ryanair trumpets this is 'bigger than the EU standard'. It says the change 'will be implemented over the coming weeks, as our airport bag sizers are adjusted'. The size change represents a 20% increase in volume and means Ryanair will be accepting free bags one-third bigger than the new EU minimum. But that is the only aspect of Ryanair's baggage policy that is changing. If you get it wrong and a gate check reveals the bag is oversized you will pay a fee of £60. A larger cabin bag can be added to a flight booking for £6 to £36 depending on the route but, again, if it is deemed too large at the airport it will cost £75 to stow. Will other airlines change their luggage rules, too? Some won't have do anything. Rival budget airline easyJet, for example, already allows a more generous free underseat bag. Wizz Air's current free bag policy is the same as the one that Ryanair is moving to. The airline association Airlines for Europe (A4E) says its 28 members have started applying the bag dimensions which were agreed by EU transport ministers last month. 'This will bring more clarity to passengers across Europe,' says its managing director, Ourania Georgoutsakou. 'From city-hoppers to family travellers, everyone will benefit from the same clear rule across our members' networks.' Standardising cabin-bag rules has been on the Brussels agenda for years with the decision to settle on a size enabling frequent travellers to buy one piece of luggage that will be accepted by multiple airlines. All A4E airlines will be following the bag rule by the end of the 2025 summer season, it says, adding that 'carriers will continue to permit larger personal items at their discretion'. Aren't hand baggage fees being abolished anyway? Not yet, but they could be. European consumer groups are calling on EU lawmakers to investigate budget airlines for 'exploiting consumers' by charging for hand luggage. In May, BEUC, an umbrella group for 44 consumer organisations, called for Brussels to investigate seven airlines, including Ryanair, easyJet and Wizz Air for this. BEUC director general Agustín Reyna said the airlines were 'ignoring the EU top court who ruled that charging [for] reasonably sized hand baggage is illegal'. The organisation was referring to a EU court of justice ruling in 2014 that said the 'carriage of hand baggage cannot be made subject to a price supplement, provided that it meets reasonable requirements in terms of its weight and dimensions'. In the meantime, Spain has become a battleground for the issue. Last year, its consumer affairs ministry fined five carriers, including Ryanair, a total of €179m (£150m) for charging passengers for hand luggage and seat reservations. Now low-cost carrier Wizz Air is being investigated, too. Will charges be banned? Ryanair's chief executive, Michael O'Leary, says no. He is dismissive of the Spanish effort, recently telling the Guardian the country has a 'mad minister who's decided that as General Franco passed some law 30 years before Spain joined the EU, passengers are free to bring as much baggage as they want.' A Spanish court has now temporarily suspended the fines on three of the airlines (including Ryanair) while the matter is under judicial review, after a legal challenge. To complicate matters further, last month the transport committee of the European parliament voted to give passengers the right to an extra piece of free hand luggage weighing up to 7kg. Under the new rule, travellers could bring one cabin bag measuring up to 100cm (based on the sum of the dimensions) on board their flight, as well a personal bag, at no additional cost. (MEPs also want children under 12 years old to be seated next to their accompanying passenger free of charge.) The proposed law requires approval from 55% of EU member states, but if adopted after the negotiations due to start this month, would extend to all flights within the EU, as well as routes to and from the EU. The airline industry is predictably opposed, stating that the cost of the bag will be folded into overall prices, pushing up fares. 'Europe's airline market is built on choice,' Georgoutsakou says. 'Forcing a mandatory trolley bag strips passengers of that choice and obliges passengers to pay for services they may not want or need. What's next? Mandatory popcorn and drinks as part of your cinema ticket? 'The European parliament should let travellers decide what services they want, what services they pay for and, importantly, what services they don't,' she says.
Local Norway
06-07-2025
- Local Norway
Hundreds of flights cancelled across Europe as travel chaos continues
Aviation authorities had to ask airlines to scrap hundreds of flights not just to-and-from France but also overflying the country as summer holidays kick off. The European Airlines for Europe (A4E) association said 1,500 flights would be cancelled on Thursday and Friday in Europe, affecting 300,000 passengers. "French air traffic control already delivers some of Europe's worst delay figures and now the actions of a minority of French air traffic control workers will needlessly disrupt the holiday plans of thousands of people in France and across Europe," said A4E chief Ourania Georgoutsakou. READ ALSO: Will travel in Europe be hit by more French air traffic control strikes this summer? The association said the strikes also caused "almost 500,000 minutes" in delays in Europe on Thursday on nearly 33,000 commercial flights. Ryanair, Europe's largest airline by passenger numbers, said it had cancelled more than 400 flights. "These strikes are unacceptable," said Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary, urging the EU Commission to protect such overflights by law in case of strikes. "Of these 400 flight cancellations, 350 would not be cancelled if the EU protected overflights over France." Advertisement Paris airports worst hit Paris airports risked being even more severely affected than on the first day of the strike on Thursday, which was called by two minority unions calling for better working conditions and staffing. The timing of the strike is particularly acute with Friday the final day of school in France before the summer holidays, with many families planning an early getaway. France's DGAC aviation authority said 933 flights departing from or arriving at French airports were cancelled on Thursday, some 10 percent of the total number of flights initially scheduled. The proportion of cancellations rose to 25 percent at the main airports in Paris. But on Friday the situation risks being even more severe with the DGAC asking companies to cancel 40 percent of flights to deal with the strike. French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou described the strike as "shocking". "Choosing the day when everyone goes on holiday to go on strike at air traffic control is taking the French hostage," he told BFMTV. The effects of the strike are not limited to France and the stoppage has triggered hundreds of cancellations of flights that fly over the country. LISTEN: From strikes to extreme heat - What to expect in France this summer
Local Italy
04-07-2025
- Business
- Local Italy
EU lawmakers vote to ban airlines from charging fees for hand luggage
Passengers travelling in Europe should be able to carry on board one personal item, such as a handbag, backpack or laptop and one small hand luggage without having to pay additional fees, members of the European Parliament transport committee concluded on Tuesday. The position aims to bring into EU law a judgement made by the European Court of justice, which ruled back in 2014 that the 'carrying of hand baggage cannot be made subject to a price supplement, provided that it meets reasonable requirements in terms of its weight and dimensions and complies with applicable security requirements'. Currently many low-cost airlines allow passengers to only take one small on-board item for free and charge extra for other hand baggage. The rules vary between airlines and different countries. Tuesday's vote appears to be good news for passengers but it is not final. The change will still have to be endorsed by all MEPs in the full parliament and green lighted by European governments in the EU Council. Airlines against the move Last year the Spanish Ministry of Social Rights and Consumption fined five airlines €179 million for such practices following a complaint by the Spanish consumer organisation OCU (Organización de Consumidores y Usuarios). Consumer groups also lodged a complaint with the European Commission arguing that the EU top court recognised hand luggage as 'an essential aspect of passengers' carriage,' said European consumer organisation BEUC. But airlines condemned Tuesday's vote as a limit to 'consumer choice' that will result in 'higher costs for millions of passengers who neither need nor use an extra trolley bag.' Airlines for Europe (A4E), the group representing major air carriers at the EU level, said that 'travelling light is the choice for hundreds of millions of European passengers'. In Spain, for instance, over 50 million passengers 'didn't need an additional piece of cabin baggage last year and had the choice not to have this included as part of their airfare," A4E said. A4E Managing Director Ourania Georgoutsakou said: 'What's next? Mandatory popcorn and drinks as part of your cinema ticket? The European Parliament should let travellers decide what services they want, what services they pay for and, importantly, what services they don't.' The measure would apply to all flights departing or arriving within the 27-nation European Union. Children must be seated next to accompanying passengers The proposed change to hand luggage fees was part of a package of amendments to passenger rights when travelling by air, rail, sea, coach and inland waterways put forward by the European Commission in 203. The committee also voted to ensure that children under 12 years old are seated next to their accompanying passenger free of charge. People accompanying passengers with reduced mobility should also travel with them for free, and there should be compensation rights in case of loss or damage to their equipment or injury to assistance animals, MEPs said. Italian MEP Matteo Ricci, who is in charge of the file, said the new rules aim to 'protect all passengers, with special attention to persons with disabilities and reduced mobility' and clarify the definition of free hand luggage 'up to a maximum size of 100cm.' Rules for intermediaries New rules also aim to clarify the role of intermediaries, such as ticket vendors or travel agencies, in the reimbursement of air passengers for cancellations, delays or denied boarding. According to the parliament transport committee, these companies should inform passengers at the time of booking about the full cost of the air ticket, intermediation or service fees, and the reimbursement process. This should not take longer than 14 days or, past the deadline, it will be for the air carrier to process the reimbursement within 7 days. Multimodal journey In a separate vote, MEPs also backed the proposal to introduce compensation for disruptions in journeys involving at least two modes of transport, for example plane and bus, or train, ferry and plane. If a customer buys a single contract involving multiple transport modes from one operator, and a missed connection results in a delay of 60 minutes or more, the passenger should be offered meals, refreshment and a hotel stay free of charge. 'Switching between transport modes should not mean losing protection against missed connections and assistance', MEPs said. 'Our proposals are intended to strengthen passenger confidence and encourage companies to develop more attractive multimodal offers,' said German MEP Jens Gieseke, who leads on this part. Question on compensation In parallel, the European Parliament and Council are discussing a revision of compensation rules in case of flight delays or cancellations. On Tuesday, MEPs also voted in favour of a common reimbursement form in case of travel disruption, with airlines requested to send passengers the pre-filled form within 48 hours following the problem - 'or activate alternative automatic communication channels'. They also voted on a well a defined list of extraordinary circumstances, such as natural disasters or war, under which airlines can avoid having to pay compensation.
Local Spain
04-07-2025
- Business
- Local Spain
Hundreds of flights cancelled across Europe as travel chaos continues
Aviation authorities had to ask airlines to scrap hundreds of flights not just to-and-from France but also overflying the country as summer holidays kick off. The European Airlines for Europe (A4E) association said 1,500 flights would be cancelled on Thursday and Friday in Europe, affecting 300,000 passengers. "French air traffic control already delivers some of Europe's worst delay figures and now the actions of a minority of French air traffic control workers will needlessly disrupt the holiday plans of thousands of people in France and across Europe," said A4E chief Ourania Georgoutsakou. The association said the strikes also caused "almost 500,000 minutes" in delays in Europe on Thursday on nearly 33,000 commercial flights. Ryanair, Europe's largest airline by passenger numbers, said it had cancelled more than 400 flights. "These strikes are unacceptable," said Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary, urging the EU Commission to protect such overflights by law in case of strikes. "Of these 400 flight cancellations, 350 would not be cancelled if the EU protected overflights over France." Paris airports worst hit Paris airports risked being even more severely affected than on the first day of the strike on Thursday, which was called by two minority unions calling for better working conditions and staffing. The timing of the strike is particularly acute with Friday the final day of school in France before the summer holidays, with many families planning an early getaway. France's DGAC aviation authority said 933 flights departing from or arriving at French airports were cancelled on Thursday, some 10 percent of the total number of flights initially scheduled. The proportion of cancellations rose to 25 percent at the main airports in Paris. But on Friday the situation risks being even more severe with the DGAC asking companies to cancel 40 percent of flights to deal with the strike. French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou described the strike as "shocking". "Choosing the day when everyone goes on holiday to go on strike at air traffic control is taking the French hostage," he told BFMTV. The effects of the strike are not limited to France and the stoppage has triggered hundreds of cancellations of flights that fly over the country.
