After being founded in 1985, Ryanair went on to become one of the biggest airlines in the world. Recently, it highlighted a common mistake countless passengers make when they’re due to board a flight
Jess Flaherty Senior News Reporter
01:35, 19 Apr 2026
Ryanair has revealed a common mistake that the “average” passenger is guilty of (stock image)(Image: NGCHIYUI via Getty Images)
Ryanair has highlighted the one mistake the “average” passenger keeps making and it’s sparked a strong reaction. The budget airline is renowned for its competitively priced flights, proudly declaring on its website that it offers “Europe’s lowest fares”.
Established in 1985 by Irish aviation executive Christopher Ryan and Irish billionaire businessman and philanthropist Tony Ryan, the company took its name from its founders. Today, it commands a fleet of more than 600 aircraft. It runs 3,500 short-haul flights per day and caters to around 230 airports in more than 40 countries across Europe, as well as in Turkey, Jordan and Morocco.
Like many companies, Ryanair maintains an active presence on social media. In a recent video shared on TikTok, the airline jokingly mocked a common travel error many people are guilty of committing – packing suitcases which are far too big.
All Ryanair fares “include one small personal bag (40cm x 30cm x 20cm) that must fit under the seat”, which may be a handbag or a laptop bag.
Ryanair’s baggage policy states: “Additional options include Priority boarding with a second 10kg cabin bag, checked bags of 10kg, 20kg (up to 3), or 23kg (1 allowed).
“Infants have no cabin allowance but may bring a 5kg baby bag and two baby equipment items free.”
However, it appears some passengers don’t bother to check the dimensions of their bags. In the TikTok clip, an animated image of a man clutching a comically oversized suitcase could be seen moving across the screen towards the check-in desk.
Text overlaid on the footage labelled the man an “average Ryanair passenger”. In a voiceover, he is told: “Your bag is too big, sir.”
The voiceover then listed a string of excuses and responses Ryanair staff frequently hear, including “it fit at home”, “this is unfair”, “how could you do this?” and “I’m never flying Ryanair again”.
Content cannot be displayed without consent
The tongue-in-cheek video has, so far, racked up 245,900 views and hundreds of comments. One TikTok user said: “It is like their first time every time! Never ceases to amaze me. It is not as if you don’t get enough reminders either as to what you have booked and paid for…”
Another jokingly asked: “What bag should I bring then?????????” A third shared: “My uncle does that.” To which, Ryanair replied: “He will be charged.”
But someone else quipped: “Does paying extra at the gate magically make the bag smaller/lighter?”
One person said: “At the gate they say that you can carry 2 bags a person tho.” Another joked: “I’ll just travel by unicorn instead.”
And another said: “Bro I had to cut my wheels off the suit case because it was 1cm to big.”
The budget Irish airline is headquartered in Swords, County Dublin, Ireland. Based on annual international passenger numbers, fleet size and total flights operated, Ryanair is the largest airline in the world. It ranks as the second-largest airline globally by market capitalisation, behind Delta Air Lines.
It boasts a fleet of 613 planes, including 26 leased aircraft.
Around 95% of aircraft operated by Ryanair are single-aisle Boeing 737s. The 737-8-200 was specifically designed by Boeing for Ryanair with the aim of enabling the airline to carry more passengers at a lower cost per person.
