ryanair and panniers

Gotte

I notice from an email Ryanair sent me, the cabbin baggage restrictions are, well, restrictive. Usually, I take 4 panniers, packed, in a holdall into the cabin, but obviously not this time. I'm going to pack my bike in one of the clear CTC bags (no disassembly). Anyone know if you're allowed to attach even empty panniers to the bike? Thanks.

priory

i am fairly sure the rules can easily be read 'not', so you might get away with it or get stuck . I usually try to book and plan to avoid such problems even if it means spending a few quid more. You can put the panniers into a strong plastic bag tied at the nech with string and a label and call it one item if it is within the size and weight limits.

TerryJ

Gotte

Thanks for that. I've had a look at their website, and nowhere does it say anything about panniers. My friend and I are sharing a single baggage allowance, which is only 15kg, and if we want to be sure of getting it through, it would be better putting the empty panniers on the bike (we've got the heavy waterproof panniers which alltogether and empty come to about 8 kgs. I could understand it being a problem if we were taking full panniers, but empty...
Of course, this is Ryanair, and if we have problems, then we'll be forced to either ditch two of the panniers or pay excess luggage, which is something ridiculous like £15 per kg.

schlepcycling

Ryanair are doubling their baggage allowance to 30kgs from 1st October, however it'll be 2 pieces of 15kgs each, the first will cost £15 to check in online and the second £35 online (both prices are double at the airport), sporting equipment will be £40 online (£50 at the airport) and excess baggage will be £20 per kg.

http://news.cheapflights.co.uk/2009/09/ryanair-doubles-baggage-allowance-hikes-fees-.html

Gotte

I heard they were going to charge for walking on the cracks in the pavement, and not guessing the number the check-in girl was thinking of while you were waiting at the yellow line, which they also charge for crossing.

priory

80pounds return for the bike. Plus 30pounds return for the luggage.

Hiring is starting to look attractive.

I have not read any rules this year, but I remember in the past reading that the bike in its packet must not contain any other items. I routinely put in the small saddle bag with its tools and tubes and may use socks etc as padding, but ryanair are getting progressively scarier.

alfablue

Priory

Sort your sig out, I have pm'd you!



Ryanair have priced themselves out of the market. My g/f and I went to Tuscany on Easyjet in April, the bikes were £30 each return, and one bag (a holdall with 4 panniers) was £16 return, that's £46 versus £110! Except we had 32kg total luggage allowance each, whilst Ryanair would probably not have accepted our holdall as it was 25kg, so it would have cost even more. Damn Ryanair! Of course, Easyjet may well follow their lead...

Edit: maths suspect, I reckon Ryanair would be charging £210 for what I paid £76 on easyjeet.

crankycrank

Gotte, you could also box your bike and put a couple of the panniers in with the bike. I know this requires doing some assembly which you wanted to avoid but could save you a few quid.

Gotte

Thanks for that.

Luckily for me, I had my scales set up to llbs instead of kgs, which actually means my luggage was half as light as I thought, and I have twice as much leeway. Of course, Ryanair still don;t make it easy, and I heard they could be really, really difficult, so I'm going to have to make sure we weigh less than the allowance.
I read that Ryanair miscalibrate their scales to get people to pay extra:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/travel ... 687502.ece

Bodhbh

I left an pannier on my bike when I travelled earlier this year, containing tools, a couple of misc items and another pannier. I guess if asked I would justify that it was all 'part of the bike'. Not sure I'd recommend this in-case you got stranded but I got away with it, tbh it was a case of having to as no-way could I have got everything as the 1 bag I'd payed for.