Yes! I’ve now bought four cabin wheelies in different sizes! Standardise the size and weight, and it’ll be good for travellers, and for luggage makers.
But the duty-free business is crazy – why should carbon footprint be wrecked by planes flying bottles of alcohol from country to country? Duty-free shopping should be on arrival only, and airports should have goods from many countries (like Tokyo train station, where people who’ve had a local naughty weekend can buy the “Kyoto treats” they supposedly got on their business trip to Kyoto, for instance).

No.

Open competition gives us successful companies like Ryanair and bad as the service can be, it can be cheaper to fly to London than get the bus to Dublin sometimes.

Unless of course you have to get the bus to Dublin to fly to London

Michelle, Ted… think I’ll ditch my usual advice and say “go find yourselves a restraining order”. ;)

Yes I have and yes it would be smaller. My suitcase fits under the seat , only way to travel, never have to worry if your bag will fit (except when allocated a seat in Row 1, only happened once, not a problem with Ryanair). Mine fits in the bag-measuring-thing… makes me think the max size is based on what fits under the seat.

A standard size is a good idea, but it would be tiny and would have to accommodate the smallest aircraft operating commercially in Europe. Just think about Aer Arann/Aer Lingus planes, you can’t bring standard Ryanair/Aer Lingus bags on those, they just won’t fit. Might be best to either say all purchases must fit in your carry-on baggage, or not, and leave it at that. It does depend on the airport policy at the moment, not just the airlines. In Brussels airport you can buy as much as you want and bring it as extra hand baggage, I guess someone got a surprise flying somewhere else :)

Agreed, this is really only about Ryanair (and possibly EasyJet but I wouldn’t be too sure). But everyone knows what they’re letting themselves in for when they fly with Ryanair. It’s a relief when you board an Aer Lingus flight with a wheelie carry-on AND a handbag/duty free and don’t get done for it. Basically, if you don’t want to live in fear of being robbed by T&C’s, don’t fly Ryanair.

Your bags were dearer than you flights and you still moan. To make matter worse you obviously did not need the bags in question as you did not bring them. Your the kind of customer Ryanair is trying to avoid!!!!

Paul is right. Anyway, would this not breach the EU law on competition?

Million miles of difference Mary in full service long-haul carriers like Emirates, Qantas and Singapore Airlines and no-frills airlines like Ryanair, Easyjet and its reflected in the price too!

This is Europe, we get screwed where possible.

You’re exaggerating somewhat so your point is invalid.

Yeah, you’re right William. Sorry about that. I feel like such a fool. Exaggerating like that.

All the cool kids were doing irony and and I just wanted to fit in. I guess I just fell in with the wrong crowd.

I’ll NEVER use comedy exaggeration to reinforce a serious point again. Never, I tell you. Not even…. now.

The way to prevent greedy airlines taking liberties is…..don’t fly with them. I’m no great fan of Ryanair, but I do see the full list of charges and regulations before I buy my ticket so it’s my choice..Can you imagine the cost of flying in Europe if Ryanair hadn’t come???

Many people will just vote no when they see the letters E and U together no matter what possible good the proposal could bring.

While the MEPs are at it, could they do something about getting rid of those ridiculously stupid card processing charges?? Take for example Ryanair. It costs ?6 to process the payment for a one way flight and ?12 for a return. Double the charges then if there are two people on the booking! Why is this exactly? Why don’t Lidl or Aldi charge me for this each time I pay with card? The reason simply being that the charge is an out and out scam.

Anyone, regardless of nationality, can be issued with a driver’s licence. Allowing their use would grant freedom of movement to those who aren’t entitled to it.

the passport request in ireland is because we are not party to the schengen agreement.

I agree, I just drove from Dublin to Malaga with my Son and two dogs. Not once were we stopped or asked for passports. So much for border controls yet you will be refused to board an aircraft without a passport while I could have had anything in the Camper and went unchallenged !

Donncha, the passport is for airline security only. you do not need it when you are travelling within Europe. Shengen only relates to Border controls. Non Shengen countries do not need passports just ID.

@David Nice drive, I bet no-one checked the dogs passports either :)

Ben, Ireland and the UK opted out of the Schengen agreement as they both wanted to maintain their own separate visa rules. Because we both have different visa requirements to the rest of the EU we need to go through passport control when we arrive from Ireland to prove our citizenship to show we are eligible to enter. For example, we may have admitted someone without a visa that the Schengen Area would not, or vice versa, and these people need to be checked. They cannot move freely. As a result of us needing to prove citizenship, a passport or national ID is required to be admitted as nothing else can prove it. This is not a rule imposed by the airlines. It’s the law.

Once inside the Schengen Area though the borders are completely open in all forms. Flying within the area (e.g. Spain to Sweden) you are not subject to passport control when you arrive. You head straight to the baggage hall. Any requirements put on you for identification in that situation are entirely decided by the airline in question for their own use.

Start your travel plans by talking to your friends and family who travel regularly, they will have useful advice, might be able to lend you a bag they’ve flown with before (the right size), might give you some of the plastic bags for free, can give you info on certain airports they’ve been through before, etc. Not everyone wants to or can read and understand airline and airport websites, it’s a lot to take in. It is necessary to be aware of at least 3 sets of baggage policies for an average flight – airline plus 2 airports. Also a lot of this country doesn’t have proper broadband or smartphones which makes searching airport/airline websites actually quite difficult – offer to print out info for people!

It is awful when you’re not aware of something and are already stressed when travelling, I see it all the time – development charges at airports, 1-bag policy at airports, 1-bag policies that airlines ignore at some airports and enforce at others, security rules on liquids, rules on unopened dutyfree on flight transfers, the same airline with different baggage rules for different aircraft, the list is long.

I do, when it’s unavoidable.

I used to have a preference for Aer Lingus, and would pay up to 20-30 quid more for the privilege, depending on the flight.

However, every time I fly Aer Lingus I have to queue at the gate and rush to my seat like a Ryanair passenger, just to get use the overhead space that’s beside my seat. Aer Lingus continually let people take huge gear bags onto planes, and then those same people stick them up at the first available locker, before walking down the plane to their seat. The last 20% of passengers boarding the plane have to either check their single properly sized baggage into the hold, or the staff have to walk the plane creating space. Net result? Aer Lingus almost never get away on time.

I actually prefer Ryanair now for short hops. There’s no messing about with the bags, and once you queue in reasonable time you get a seat.

I would, however, like to see some more EU clamp down on their opaque websites, and the interface for things like deselecting travel insurance: It asks “Travel Insurance: What country are you living in?” and in that combo box is hidden the “I don’t require travel insurance” option. This is nonsense, and they should be sanctioned on the grounds of accessibility.

Furthermore, they shouldn’t be allowed to charge unavoidable charges like for a carry-on bag, or for online check-in.

State interference in markets has brought us such horrors as consumer rights and labour laws that prevent, you know, children from being sent down mines. Businesses these days tend to be a bit more ethical in their operations, but there are always the few who will do whatever they can get away with to make another buck. State interference doesn’t always help business, but it keeps the rest of us from getting srewed all the time.

It also brought us the bank bailout.

Sure and if you want to be even more simplistic it brought gulags and state surveillance, but it’s really not that black and white. The trick is to find balance, not just dismiss state regulation as ‘interference’ or claim that businesses left to their own devices would make the world a better place.

It took the EU Commission to control mobile phone operators’ ripoff roaming charges – against sustained UK opposition.

No, life isn’t black and white, but suggesting that the state ease back on regulation isn’t black and white either.

Minimising interference isn’t the same as eliminating it.

“claim that businesses left to their own devices would make the world a better place.”

Where did I claim that?

I reacted to the question ‘When has state interference in the market helped?’ not the suggestion that the state ease back on regulation. I’m in favour of a more intelligent and selective approach to state regulation, but I think it’s a grand fallacy of our time that state regulation of the market doesn’t help.

You did not claim that businesses left to their own devices would make the world a better place. It’s often the next argument made by people who favour less regulation, apologies for assuming.

Accepted.

Some regulation is necessary.

This, though, is straightforward interference in the market.

If you don’t like your airline’s carry on policy fly with someone else or wear a big coat.

Damocles- regulation did not bring about a bank bailout. Lack of regulation meant that a bailout was necessary. Please stop making things up as you please.

Kevin.

Interference brought the bailout.

Learn to read.

Well just don’t fly with them and let others make their own choice.

But your post reveals a typical European crypto-fascist mentality.

Well the EU have been responsible for significantly reducing mobile phone roaming charges – I think they should now focus their attention on the airline industry.

after the phone companies made trillions off the backs of EU citizens while the EU scratched it’s balls. Maybe in ten years time when the airline companies have ripped us off enough then the EU might do something…

Ooops Roger, my reply to you is back up a few posts. Over

They don’t charge for carry on luggage, just checked luggage. They also have this wonderful thing called a website where you can find all of the information much more quickly and reliably than asking strangers on a news website.

@ Donncha…….

I want to post a parcel to the USA, it weighs 2kg,

How much is the postage?
How long for it to get there?

They don’t and neither do Ryanair or any other airline I’ve ever encountered. You get a carry-on allowance which tells you the weight and size of bag you can bring on a particular flight. If you try to bring something heavier or bigger, beware… :-)