A woman who was told by Ryanair that her book had to go in her bag or be counted as a separate piece of luggage has vowed never to travel with the airline again. 

The issue of bags is something that is always on the mind of Ryanair passengers, with all aware that staff can be zealous when it comes to charging travellers who have oversized luggage. 

The airline has recently said it will probably soon increase the reward it pays staff for catching out passengers from €2.50 to €3.50. 

However, one woman who will not be caught out is Lunchtime Live listener Julie, who refuses to fly with the airline since a member of staff was “rude” to her. 

“It was so petty,” she recalled. 

“I was at the gate, my bag was accepted, I had a rucksack on my back. 

“The plane was delayed a little while and I had a book, I was reading a book.

“As I went to the gate, when we were called, I was told that I had to put the book in my bag because I was only allowed one piece of hand luggage. 

“I thought the member of staff was quite rude and I've never flown with them since.”

Children looking at a Ryanair aircraft at Dublin airport departure lounge

Fortunately, Julie was able to put the book in the bag but was unhappy to do so

“I am a very good packer because I realised that you can't take anything,” she said. 

“If you're going to a number of places with Ryanair, it's not as if you're going to be without a shop to buy something.”

'Everybody talks about Ryanair and the bags'

Also on the programme was Sheila, who has also recently been fined by Ryanair. 

“Last year at one time, I was boarding a Ryanair flight with a bag that I've used for years and many times on Ryanair and all the other airlines also,” she said. 

“I got dinged for, I think, 60 or 70 quid because the wheels wouldn't tuck in all the way.”

Overall, she is sceptical about the company’s decision to announce it will likely increase staff bonuses, believing it is simply a “way of keeping Ryanair in the news”. 

“I think it's the best advertising they can have because everybody talks about Ryanair and the bags,” he said. 

“I mean, that's very cheap advertising for them; the one thing that did annoy me that day, though, was the person who dinged me was actually quite unpleasant about it. 

“Which I thought was unnecessary because I kind of accepted it.”

Main image: Passengers boarding a Ryanair aircraft for a flight from Dublin Airport. Picture by: Alamy.com.