The Ryanair Baggage Trick That Saves Americans €150 Per Flight

Here is the blunt version you can use this weekend. Most Americans overspend on Ryanair because they buy a 20 kg suitcase and show up with the wrong cabin bag. The fix is not gaming the system. It is using the rules the way Europeans do: buy Priority & 2 Cabin Bags early, size your under-seat bag precisely, and move weight into what Ryanair lets you carry for free, including a lawful duty-free bag. Done right, a couple saves about €150 on a round trip without stress or arguments. The best part is you arrive with what you need on board, not in a line at baggage claim.

This is a guide with exact sizes, fees, packing math, and scripts. I’ll show you the simple four-piece kit that never gets flagged, the one add-on that beats checking, how to use the duty-free allowance politely, and the mistakes that trigger the dreaded gate charge. Remember: on Ryanair, size and timing are money.

What Ryanair actually allows for free

Every passenger can bring one small personal bag that fits under the seat. The current published size is 40 × 30 × 20 cm. If it sticks out of the sizer, you pay. If it slides in, you smile and board. Key point: this free bag is where Americans leave the most money on the table. They bring a tote that is too tall or a backpack that is too deep, and the gate fee wipes out the cheap ticket.

There is more: a duty-free shopping bag is explicitly allowed in addition to your cabin allowance. If you buy something after security and carry it in the store’s bag, you may bring that bag on board with your free under-seat bag. Use it modestly and you glide through. Bottom line: one under-seat bag plus one duty-free bag is legal, visible, and free.

Remember: the airline has been tightening enforcement. Staff are even incentivized to spot oversize cabin bags, and gate fines can hit around £75 or similar in euros when your bag fails the frame. Do not “eyeball” this. Measure.

The one paid add-on that beats checking a suitcase

The paid option that quietly saves the trip is Priority & 2 Cabin Bags. It adds a second carry-on of 55 × 40 × 20 cm up to 10 kg for the overhead, plus you keep your free under-seat bag. Buy it early and it typically runs about €6 to €20 one way, sometimes higher on busy routes. Compared to a 20 kg checked bag that can run €18.99 to €59.99 each way, Priority often cuts your total cost, speeds your exit, and eliminates baggage claim. You are replacing one large, expensive bag with two perfectly legal smaller spaces.

Why this matters: most Americans default to checking a big case “for convenience,” then add a too-large personal item, then get stung at the gate. Priority flips the math. The overhead 10 kg bag carries your dense items. The free under-seat bag carries your laptop, meds, chargers, and a change of clothes. If you truly need overflow, the duty-free bag carries snacks or a soft jacket you would have packed anyway. Three legal containers, zero drama.

The four-piece kit that never gets flagged

You do not need fancy luggage. You need dimensions that match the frame and a scale that tells the truth.

1. Under-seat backpack or soft cube at 40 × 30 × 20 cm. Aim for rectangular, not tubular. A soft shell “squishes” into the sizer. If it bulges to 23 cm, you are gambling with a €60–€75 bill.
2. Overhead cabin case for Priority at 55 × 40 × 20 cm. Choose one you can lift one-handed into the bin. Hard shells are fine if they are truly 20 cm deep. Depth is what gets people caught.
3. Pocket digital scale. Five seconds saves a fee.
4. Flat nylon tote that folds to nothing. If you plan to buy water or snacks airside, ask for a duty-free carrier bag and place the tote inside. You are now inside the rules with a spare container if needed. This is legal under Ryanair’s own carriage terms.

Remember: weight lives in the under-seat bag, volume lives in the overhead. Dense items like chargers, books, toiletries, and shoes belong under the seat because that bag is rarely weighed.

The math: where the €150 saving appears

Take a basic couple’s round trip.

• What many Americans do: add one 20 kg checked bag each, outbound and return. At realistic pricing windows that is €39 to €59.99 each way per bag, so €156 to €240 total for two people round trip. If one under-seat bag fails at the gate, add €60–€75. You are now €216 to €315 in baggage spend.
• What the “priority plus packing” method does: buy Priority & 2 Cabin Bags for both travelers at booking for a typical €12–€40 round trip each, depending on route and timing. That is €24–€80 total for the pair. No checked bags, no gate drama, no carousel. You just removed €132–€235 from the budget.

If one traveler truly needs extra, replace one person’s Priority with a single 10 kg check-in bag bought at booking for roughly €9.49–€44.99 each way, still keeping the other traveler on Priority. You are often still €100+ ahead versus two 20 kg bags, and you carry fragile and important items on your body, not in the hold.

Bottom line: the saving comes from buying smaller capacity that travels with you, not big capacity the airline touches. Prices move by route and date, but the ratio holds.

The duty-free allowance, used politely

Ryanair’s own pages say it: a duty-free shopping bag is allowed in addition to your cabin bags. Here is how to use it like a local without being that person. Buy one bottle of water and a snack after security. Ask for the store’s carrier bag. Place your scarf or a thin packable jacket on top. The bag now lives under the seat and no one blinks. It is lawful, visible, and ordinary across EU airports. Do not stuff a second suitcase into a duty-free bag. That is how you get flagged.

Remember: you are not adding luggage. You are redistributing what you already would have carried. The rule exists to let passengers shop airside. Use the rule, do not stretch it.

The packing pattern that always clears the frame

Think like this:

• Under-seat bag 40 × 30 × 20: laptop or tablet, chargers, meds, glasses, toiletries, one pair of shoes, one change of clothes, a flat packable tote, snacks. If it bulges, put the shoes on your feet and move cords into jacket pockets.
• Overhead bag 55 × 40 × 20, 10 kg: jackets in compression cubes, the rest of your clothes, gifts, a small umbrella. Depth is king. Measure it packed.
• On body: wear your heaviest shoes and a light shell jacket. Use pockets for dense items like cables or a paperback.
• Duty-free bag: water, banana, a bar, the flat tote, or a thin sweater you would have packed anyway.

Key point: soft things kill depth. If your case is 20 cm deep empty and the front pocket bulges with a sweater, you are over 20 cm and into fee territory.

Three real itineraries, side by side

1) Lisbon to Rome, 2 adults, 4 days
What many do: one 20 kg bag outbound and one inbound, plus two mystery “personal items” that do not fit the frame. Typical cost: €120–€160 in checked fees round trip, plus a €60–€75 gate bill when a backpack fails.
What locals do: Priority for both at €24–€60 total if bought early. Everything at your feet and overhead. You walk off the plane and straight to the train. Savings: roughly €100+ and 30 minutes of life.

2) Barcelona to Marrakech, 2 adults, 1 child, 6 days
Trick: two adult Priorities plus one 10 kg check-in bag for shared liquids and bulk. Typical total €60–€140 depending on timing, versus €180–€240 for two 20 kg bags. The child gets a free under-seat bag for toys and a hoodie. Everyone boards calm.

3) Dublin to Naples, 1 adult, 10 days, business plus beach
Trick: one Priority and a tight capsule wardrobe. Laundry once mid-trip. If you truly need more, add a 10 kg check-in for the return only when you buy ceramics or olive oil. Outbound light, inbound paid once. Still cheaper than a 20 kg both ways. Remember: you can add a bag later; booking early is cheaper.

What you can say at the airport

At bag drop, if asked about size calmly say: “Under-seat, forty by thirty by twenty. Priority cabin fifty-five by forty by twenty.” You are telling them you know the frames. If the under-seat bag looks chunky, zip and compress it before you speak. Staff are strict because they are paid to be strict. Your job is to be ready.

At the gate, if an agent eyes your bag, set it straight in the sizer without force. If it touches, remove the hoodie stuffed in the front pocket and try again. If it does not pass, pay quickly and learn. Fighting costs time and sometimes money.

Remember: courtesy moves you forward. Drama moves you backward.

The seven mistakes that cause the €60–€75 gate fine

1. Depth drift. A “20 cm” case that is 22 cm once packed. Measure the real thing. Agents care about thickness.
2. Tote inflation. Free under-seat bag is 40 × 30 × 20, not “whatever fits under a chair.” Use a measured bag.
3. Late Priority purchase. Buying at the airport is pricier and sometimes sold out. Add Priority at booking or soon after.
4. Ignoring the duty-free rule. Bringing an extra personal bag from home and pretending it is duty-free. It is not. Use a real store bag with modest contents.
5. Hard shell with bulging front lid. The lid adds the fatal 2 cm. Pack flat.
6. Heaviest items in the overhead bag. Put dense weight in the under-seat bag. That bag is rarely weighed.
7. Buying the wrong checked bag. A 20 kg bag when a 10 kg would do. Prices are route dependent, but 10 kg is often far cheaper if you truly need a hold bag.

Bottom line: most fees are self-inflicted. Measure, shift weight, buy early.

Family and group strategy that keeps costs sane

• Two adults, two kids: buy Priority for the adults only. Adults carry two overhead bags plus two under-seat bags for the kids’ stuff. Kids still keep their own free under-seat bags for snacks and hoodies. If you need liquids, add a single 10 kg check-in per direction. This setup beats two 20 kg bags almost every time at family scale.
• Friends on a long weekend: one person buys Priority and carries a shared 10 kg overhead for everyone’s dense items. Others go under-seat only. You cut the group’s total baggage spend in half.
• Sports or camera gear: Ryanair has specific sports and instrument fees, but you can still reduce pain by putting the heavy accessories in the under-seat bag and keeping the paid item as small as the rule allows. Check the sports table before you buy.

Remember: capacity is household-wide, not person-proud. Share it.

What to buy, down to the centimeter

• Under-seat backpack 40 × 30 × 20 with straight sides and no external frame. A 20 cm depth is non-negotiable. Many “personal item” bags marked for Ryanair are sized exactly for this box.
• Overhead 55 × 40 × 20 with a flat front. Avoid cases that are 23 cm deep “including wheels.” That phrase means “gate fee later.”
• Compression cubes that remove air without turning your case into a loaf. Flat stack wins.
• Digital scale for peace of mind on the way back with olive oil and tiles.
• Flat nylon tote that folds to card size. Lives in your under-seat bag and jumps into a duty-free carrier at the airport.

If your current backpack is 45 × 30 × 20, it fails. If your spinner is 55 × 40 × 23, it fails. If your tote has semicircular ends, it will bulge past 20 cm. Replace once and stop paying penalties.

Timing rules that change the price you see

• Add Priority at booking or soon after. Published ranges are about €6–€20 one way for many routes when bought early, but the price jumps near departure and on busy flights.
• Add a 10 kg check-in bag online before you leave home if you need liquids or gifts. The airport price is usually higher. Typical early ranges €9.49–€44.99 each way, sometimes a little more.
• 20 kg bags are the budget killer. Expect €18.99–€59.99 each way depending on route and date. If you are buying two of these for a couple, you are choosing to spend more than Priority for both.

Key idea: capacity bought late costs more. Decide the structure when you buy the ticket.

If a gate agent challenges your bag

Keep it boring and precise.

• “It is the under-seat size, forty by thirty by twenty.”
• “Priority overhead is fifty-five by forty by twenty, under ten kilos.”
• If they gesture to the frame, place the bag in calmly, top first, do not force. If the front pocket bulges, remove the hoodie and try again.
• If it fails, pay, learn, and move on. There is no speech that turns 23 cm into 20 cm. The cheapest fix is the one you make at home.

Remember: staff are measured on compliance. Your job is to know the numbers better than they do.

Why people get away with huge bags sometimes and you should not copy it

Yes, you will see travelers breeze on with oversized backpacks. Three reasons: the overhead quota for Priority bags was not full, staff did not care on that flight, or the passenger moved like they knew the drill. This is noise, not policy. Ryanair has been adding gate enforcement incentives, and the cost when you lose has crept up. Do not model your budget on luck.

A quick checklist before you leave the house

• Under-seat bag measured 40 × 30 × 20 when full
• Overhead bag measured 55 × 40 × 20 when full
• Priority purchased for the right people
• One flat tote in the under-seat bag
• Digital scale reading under 10 kg for the overhead bag
• Heaviest items moved to the under-seat bag
• Shoes on your feet, not in the lid pocket
• Plan to buy water after security and carry it in a duty-free carrier

Bottom line: if it fits the frame at home, it fits the frame at the airport. That is the whole game.

Cases Frequently asked about

“Can I combine two 10 kg bags into one 20 kg checked bag later”
Not the way you think. You can buy multiple checked bags and share weight across them to a point, but each individual bag has its own max weight and fee. The elegant solution is to avoid the 20 kg bag unless you truly need liquids or bulky items.

“Is a laptop bag separate from the under-seat bag”
No. Your laptop bag is your free under-seat bag. If you also want a backpack, buy Priority or be ready to pay.

“Is the duty-free bag really extra”
Yes, when it contains purchases from airside and is carried in the store’s carrier. That wording lives in Ryanair’s own terms. Use it honestly and you are fine.

“What if the frame is the old 40 × 25 × 20 size”
Ryanair’s published free size is 40 × 30 × 20. You will see mixed signage as airports update. A bag built to 40 × 30 × 20 has cleared consistently on current enforcement. If a station argues down to 25 cm width, point to current policy politely and keep the peace.

Book your winter trip, add Priority early for the people carrying the load, replace guess-sized bags with a measured under-seat and a 20 cm-deep overhead, and plan to buy water after security so your duty-free carrier is legitimate. That is it. No hacks, no arguments, no surprise fees. On Ryanair, boring wins. The flight is the same. The difference is whether you paid for air and anxiety or packed to the numbers and kept the money for lunch.

Remember: size and timing are money. Measure at home, buy the right add-on once, and you will stop donating €150 to the gate every time you cross a border.