Ryan Air Passengers Mutiny

[Kip Powick]

(CNN) -- Lots of people fume over airline fees, but one group of travelers became so enraged over having to pay extra charges that they were kicked off a plane over the weekend.

Dozens of Belgian students became "disruptive and refused to comply with crew instructions" on a Ryanair flight from the Canary Islands to Brussels, Belgium, on Saturday after some of them were told to pay an oversize luggage fee at the gate, the ultralow-budget Irish carrier said in a statement.

The airline allows each passenger to carry on one bag that weighs up to 10 kilograms (about 22 pounds) and falls within certain size dimensions. Any oversized baggage is refused during boarding and can be placed in the hold of the plane for a fee of 35 euros (about $47).

But the fee obviously didn't sit well with the students. One local newspaper described the situation on board as "mutiny." Things became so bad that the pilot requested law enforcement assistance as she was preparing for takeoff, the BBC reported.

When local police arrived, they "required the entire aircraft be offloaded, each passenger identified. Following further disruptive behavior, the police required for security reasons that this entire group be refused travel," the airline said.

One hundred people were not allowed to fly after the disturbance. Ryanair apologized to the remaining 66 passengers who endured a three-hour delay while police dealt with the "disruptive group."

Ryanair is famous for its low base fares and variety of fees. It also gets a lot of publicity for some of the notorious fees it has suggested implementing, such as coin-operated lavatories.

Last month, a Spanish judge ruled that one of the carrier's extra charges -- applied when passengers arrive for their flight without a preprinted boarding pass -- is illegal. Ryanair said its Spanish lawyers will appeal the ruling, which it called "bizarre and unlawful."

[J.O.]

I won't condone their actions, but it's about time that the so called low fare outfits in that part of the world got some comeuppance. Nothing like a little consumer revolt to bring about change, and one seems to be brewing over there.

[Seeker]

I don't have much (any) sympathy for someone who buys a $20 dollar ticket and then thinks that everything else should be free.

[Specs]

10 kgs (or 1.57 stone in the local unit of weight) isn't much of a carry on limit but they knew the rules going in.

Caveat emptor!

And come to think of it - 10 kgs (or 1.57 stone if you prefer) should easily fit under the seat in front of ye so what do they need with feck@#! overhead bins? You want to use an overhead bin? - gimme 20 quid!

Closer to home, it always bothers me watching folks struggle with a carry on that exceeds their bench press capability (or the max hardness rating of the cranial hemisphere below it). They slow the boarding/deboarding process and many bags are so oversized, the volumetric bin capacity is exceeded which leads to other bags being displaced all over the cabin and only causes more delays.

Those delays that limit turnaround time, delay crew departure, extend apu burn time, cut into available cabin cleaning time etc - one way or another thay all cost money.

[Mitch Cronin]

But they're pushed to do that with wait times for baggage on the damned carrousel, or lost all together. We all know it. You don't count on having what's in checked baggage right away... Hell, they call a 1% loss rate par for the course, don't they? Naw, that can't be right.... even if it's a .01%, that's still a lot of folks who don't get to use what they packed away in the cargo holds. ...so of course they want to jam all they can into carry-on.

[mo32a]

^Not me. Since all the security checks etc., I don't carry anything on, I put it all in my checked luggage.

[Specs]

...so of course they want to jam all they can into carry-on.

You're probably right and it probably works in our favour. Folks are so conditioned now to putting it all in the carry on they don;t bother with the heavier checked bag allowance so we carry less weight.

Not me. Since all the security checks etc., I don't carry anything on, I put it all in my checked luggage

Vee haff vays of dealing vit troublemakers.

[boestar]

10 Kg is about the going weight on most airlines for a carry on. some are less.

If I travel for 4 days or less I only carry a carry on. More than that and I check a bag but carry a carry on with on change of clothes and essential toiletries. with a PAWOB Rate in the 5-7% range there is a good chance the checked bag will not arrive. I have no issues in security as I know what needs to be where and when. I will always avoid checking a bag when possible.

I just returned from a trip of 2 days. I travelled with my carry on and a laptop bag. I was through security faster than a lady with a purse because I knew what was expected. Laptop out and in tray. Blackberry in Tray. pockets empty. jacket in tray with liquids and Gels in plastic bag (individual items less that 100ml). Carry on through on its own. Belt with no metal and no metal anywhere on body. Through the detector, get the wave and grab stuff place back in bags and off to gate. The only time this process is altered is when the green arrow points RIGHT for the full body scanner. The only change here is the wallet is out of the pocket and in my hand for the scan. Actualy time difference for the random screening about 30sec if you forgo the speech about what they are doing.

If there is no line up I can be through security walking away in under 3 minutes. just be prepared and know what is expected and it works well. Unfortunately you are usually behind Mr. and Mrs. Once a Decade Traveller so things slow down.