Ryanair passengers were left in tears at Birmingham Airport after being slapped with £75 fines each for what staff deemed oversized carry-on luggage.
The incident occurred ahead of a flight bound for Verona, Italy, with as many as 15 travellers hit with the crackdown of baggage size regulations.
A couple caught up in the charges has now spoken out, alleging they were deliberately singled out as part of a revenue-generating scheme despite possessing bags specifically manufactured to comply with the budget carrier's requirements.
Lisa Sheasby, a 58-year-old floral designer, and her 49-year-old husband Fabio Lima were forced to hand over £150 between them for their two suitcases.
"Despite using a branded suitcase specifically designed to meet Ryanair's measurements, I was forced to pay £75 at the gate,” Ms Sheasby claimed.
“I have photographic evidence showing the bag fit the sizer, yet staff refused to acknowledge it and charged me anyway.
“My husband also got charged, his is an unbranded suitcase but also compliant. At least 15 people were also targeted, some left crying and distressed."
When the couple lodged a formal complaint with the airline on January 4, Ryanair's customer service team responded: "We regret that we cannot be of further assistance with regards to this matter."
Ryanair passengers were left 'crying' after told to pay £75 for 'oversized' baggage
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The airline directed them to pursue the issue through their local Alternative Dispute Resolution service.
"Ryanair has since point-blank refused to even review my evidence. This isn't just about my £150 we had to pay in total, it's about a major company ignoring its own rules to extract 'hard-earned cash' from compliant passengers.
“I have all the receipts, photos of the bag in the sizer, names and photos of the two staff members and the correspondence where they refuse to look at the proof,” Ms Sheasby told Birmingham Live.
A separate Ryanair passenger from Staffordshire reported an identical experience on a different Birmingham Airport departure.
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The incident occurred at Birmingham Airport
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Gilly Bachelor, 55, who owns a travel agency, was stopped while boarding a Malaga-bound flight despite having paid for priority boarding and the two cabin bags option.
She was charged an additional £75 on top of her £125 ticket during what she described as a "stressful" ordeal.
Ms Bachelor claimed staff were inspecting every piece of luggage as passengers boarded, with a minimum of 20 people pulled aside and fined.
"Ryanair is a very low-cost airline, so they operate to tight margins and will generate extra revenue wherever they can," she told the local publication.
'At least 15 people were also targeted, some left crying and distressed,' one affected passenger said
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"My advice is to check the size rules carefully and invest in a compliant bag. It's much less stressful than being caught at the gate and paying a fine,” the passenger advised.
Responding to the outcry, Ryanair said: "This passenger and her travelling companion booked Regular Fare tickets for this flight from Birmingham to Verona (28 Dec), which allowed them to each carry a small personal bag and 10kg cabin bag onboard.
“As their cabin bags exceeded the permitted size, they were correctly required to pay a standard gate baggage fee (£75) by the gate agent at Birmingham Airport."
GB News has approached Ryanair for additional information.
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