Both airlines love their strict cabin bag rules. Easyjet says your big wheelie bag (the one you put in the overhead bin) must be 56 x 45 x 25 cm. Ryanair allows a similar size for its Priority passengers, but let’s be real—the smaller “personal item” is where the fun begins. That little bag (40 x 20 x 25 cm for Ryanair) is the one you shove under the seat in front of you, hoping it doesn’t look like a squished loaf of bread.
Why should you care? Because gate-checking a bag is the travel equivalent of getting a parking ticket. You pay extra, you wait at the carousel, and you watch your holiday mood deflate like a sad balloon.
A Tale of Two Backpacks
Picture this: My mate Dave once tried to bring a “small” backpack onto a Ryanair flight. It was the size of a small toddler. The gate agent gave him that knowing look, whipped out the sizer cage, and made him stuff it in. It fit, but Dave’s face turned the colour of a tomato. Moral of the story: don’t be Dave. Measure your bag at home, not at the gate with an audience.
For Easyjet, their sizers are at the boarding gate too. I once saw a woman with a duffel bag that could have housed a small pony. She had to repack while her kids watched, which is basically a slow-motion comedy show. You don’t want to be the main character in that scene, trust me.
