Ryanair Baggage Policy – How to save on cabin bags💰
We have taken a careful look into Ryanair’s baggage fees and found out a neat little trick that will help you save on cabin / carry-on bags every time you book a Ryanair flight.
If we had to rank some of the most common questions we get, the ones’ related to Ryanair’s baggage policy would certainly feature on the top! We get it. Unfortunately, the airline’s booking system might not be the most intuitive, but if you’re wondering what is the best way to save on Ryanair’s cabin bags then we’re here to help you solve this riddle.
We’ll explain to you how the Ryanair fares work and guide you step-by-step in the process of adding a cabin bag to your booking. Heck, we’ll even show you the best way to reserve a seat so that you can save as much as possible!
Ryanair’s baggage policy – How to save on carry-on bags
Regrettably, and just like the overwhelming majority of its competitors, Ryanair’s baggage policy can at times feel quite restrictive. While selecting the flight you wish to book, you will instantly realize that the lowest fare – called “Value” – includes nothing but a small bag (40cm x 20cm x 25cm) when it comes to baggage.
The hard truth is, when coming face-to-face with this piece of information, most passengers just immediately assume that it’s better to upgrade to the “Regular” fare, which allows you to take a cabin bag (along with the previously mentioned small one) aboard your Ryanair flight. Plus, this fare also allows you to reserve a specific seat, so it’s a no-brainer… right?
Is choosing the Regular fare the cheapest way of adding a cabin bag to my Ryanair booking?
The answer is a sounding NO! In truth, if you simply stick to the Value fare and opt to add your carry-on bag separately, at the end of the day you’ll be saving money. It’s a smart (and totally legal) way to get around Ryanair’s baggage policy.
You just need to follow these steps:
If you’re booking through the website
1. Choose “Value” instead of “Regular”
2. Choose to have a random seat allocated to you
After inserting the passengers’ names, and in case you want to save as much as possible, you may choose to have a seat randomly assigned to you.
3. Add a cabin bag to your Ryanair booking
After choosing not to have a seat allocated to you, the next step will allow you to add the option “Priority”, which in addition to the small bag already included in your fare, also allows you take a cabin bag aboard the aircraft.
As you can see on the picture below, adding this option for a Dublin – Genoa flight would cost you €19. Keep in mind that prices fluctuate according to the route.
That being said, if you’re just interested in the cabin bag and don’t mind having a randomly assigned seat, then congratulations: you’ve just saved €8 on this trip! Had you simply selected the Regular fare, you would have ended up spending more.
However, you may argue this isn’t really a fair comparison. After all, the Regular fare also allows you to choose a seat, while our option doesn’t. What if we separately add a seat reservation to our original booking (with Value”)… would it still be cheaper than going with the fare upgrade?
Yeah, you would still be saving some of your hard-earned cash!
The cheaper seats are available starting at 4€, so in this case, adding a cabin bag and a seat according to the instructions provided above will be €4 cheaper than going with the initial fare upgrade. Nice way to flip the proverbial finger at Ryanair’s baggage policy, eh?
Once again, it’s important to remember that the prices depend on the route and the selected seat, but overall, you will always end up saving by using this technique.
If you’re booking through the app
The process is the same as in the web version:
- Pick Value over Regular
- Choose your seat or, in case you don’t want to, opt to have one randomly assigned to you upon check-in
- Select Priority
The prices and differences must be exactly the same as the ones displayed on the web version.
How to save money when adding a cabin bag and a reserved seat to your Ryanair booking – the final numbers:
In case you may still have any questions or concerns regarding this matter, we’ve decided to end things with a direct comparison between the two options we’ve discussed throughout this article. All the images are based on the aforementioned route.
Route: Dublin – Genoa
- Date of Departure: December 2
- 1 pax
If need only a cabin bag and do not mind a random seat
Booking the flight with the Regular fare, which includes a carry-on bag and a reserved seat:
Flights: €9,99
Regular fare: €27
Total: €36,99
If you follow our instructions and add the cabin bag separately:
Flights: €9,99
Priority & Cabin Bag: €19
Total: €28,99
Savings: €8
If you want to add a cabin bag and reserve a seat
Buying the flight with the Regular fare, which includes a carry-on bag and a reserved seat:
Flights: €9,99
Regular fare: €27
Total: €36,99
If you follow our instructions and add the cabin bag and the reserved seat separately:
Flights: €9,99
Priority & Cabin Bag: €19
Seat Reservation: €4,00
Total: 32,99€
Savings: €4
Does this method ALWAYS work?
We have tried up to 20 different route combinations and there was a saving in every single one of them. Eventually, that might not happen for every single case in existence, but as a rule of thumb, expect to save somewhere between €1 and €10 every time you do it. If you just choose a cabin bag and don’t mind a random seat, savings are bigger.
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