John said Ryanair staff threatened to cancel his flight. (Image: Getty)
A passenger flying to was fined £100 after his bag straps were found to be “slightly too big”.
John Butler, 50, claimed he was stopped at Dublin airport last month while trying to board a flight with his family and told his trip would be cancelled unless he stumped up the cash.
Speaking to , John said he was forced to pay £50 each for two carry-on bags after staff told him the straps exceeded the size limit. John claims the bags fitted in the measuring device. He also claimed Ryanair staff confronted him and his family because they were among the last passengers to board their flight.
The sports therapist said he was lining up when next minute he was being asked to “step aside”. He said: “Myself, my wife, and two kids step aside and I’m still wondering what this is about.”
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The family were on their way to Lanzarote. (Image: Getty)
He was then told to place his bags in the measuring device. He said: “It was clearly obvious that it was fine but she said it’s not fine. She said the handle was above it and just kept insisting.”
When John challenged it, staff reportedly turned to his daughter and said she wouldn’t be allowed to go on the flight unless her father paid the £100 fee. When the 50-year-old refused, he was allegedly told the gates had shut but could be reopened if he paid the fine.
Choosing to avoid missing his 10-day holiday, John forked out the cash and demanded the staff member’s name. She reportedly turned her name badge backwards to conceal her identity. John thinks charging customers at the end of a queue is common practice.
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He said: “When we came back with the exact same bag and same contents, no one even asked us about our bags.” He added: “On the plane, the air hostess and all agreed it was totally wrong.
“It seems to be a common practice that if you’re the last few in the queue, you’re pulled aside.” He has since submitted a formal complaint and is demanding a refund and an apology from the airline.
Ryanair has denied targeting passengers at the end of the queue. A spokesman for the airline said: “This passenger and his travelling companions booked a non-priority fare for this flight from Dublin to Lanzarote, which allowed them to carry a small personal bag onboard.
“Two of these bags exceeded the permitted size, and they were correctly charged a standard gate baggage fee (€60) to place their oversized bags in the hold.”