Ryanair baggage policy fuels viral trick to evade fees

Ryanair and Wizz Air allow a single personal item of up to 40 × 30 × 20 cm to be carried for free, while larger cabin bags require the purchase of a Priority service. In Ryanair’s case, a cabin bag up to 55 × 40 × 20 cm is only permitted with Priority, costing between €12 and €60.

A video by traveler Rob Adcock shows how he concealed two small backpacks under his coat, using vacuum‑packed clothing to fit roughly 20 kg of luggage without paying extra. He claimed the method lets passengers “have two additional backpacks, hidden under a coat, to avoid Ryanair’s baggage charges.” The clip attracted millions of views and sparked mixed reactions online, with some praising the ingenuity as “mastery of packing at the highest level,” while others criticized it as unfair to other passengers and warned that airline staff could spot the trick.

Airlines warn that exceeding the free‑item limits can result in the bag being sent to the hold for a fee, and they advise travelers to measure packed dimensions carefully. The viral hack highlights ongoing passenger frustration with strict low‑cost carrier baggage rules.