"I'd Rather Remove the Wheels Than Pay the Fine"... That Airline Introduces New 100-Euro Fee Rule

Boarding Denied If You Arrive Less Than 40 Minutes Before Departure
A 160,000 Won Fee Required to Take the Next Flight

Ryanair, the airline with the highest number of passengers in Europe, has tightened its boarding procedures and will now refuse to allow passengers to board if they do not arrive at the counter to check their luggage at least 40 minutes before departure.

Tourists removing the wheels of their suitcases to avoid paying extra fees. X Capture

On May 1 (local time), the French daily Le Figaro reported that Irish low-cost carrier Ryanair was introducing this "40-minute rule" starting that day. Passengers who are denied boarding must pay a fee of 100 euros (approximately 160,000 won) to take the next flight.

The reason for implementing this rule is to prevent flight delays caused by late baggage loading and to ensure the on-time operation of more than 3,000 flights per day.

Ryanair. Reuters Yonhap News

However, even if a passenger manages to check in their luggage just within the "40-minute rule," Ryanair closes boarding 20 minutes before departure. Therefore, if there are delays at security checks or if the boarding gate is far away, passengers may still miss their flight and should exercise caution.

Additionally, starting from November 3, Ryanair plans to discontinue issuing paper boarding passes. Once this rule is in effect, passengers will only be able to check in online.

In May last year, Ryanair noticed that a passenger who had purchased a basic fare ticket brought a bag larger than the small bag (40×20×25 cm) allowed under the seat. The airline instructed the passenger to pay 70 euros (about 100,000 won) to check the suitcase into the hold. In response, the passenger forcefully removed all four wheels from the suitcase on the spot by stepping on it and pulling them off with both hands. Ultimately, the passenger boarded the plane with a wheel-less suitcase instead of paying the extra fee.

The passenger said, "I've tried wearing multiple layers of clothing to avoid paying extra baggage fees, but this is the first time I've used this method," and expressed frustration, saying, "It costs more to check a suitcase than the price of the flight ticket." Not only Ryanair but also other low-cost carriers operating in Europe are increasingly charging for carry-on baggage in order to boost profits and speed up the boarding process.