Her baggage was deemed too big.
Budget airlines are infamous for charging passengers for nearly every additional service. Irish carrier Ryanair is especially strict about enforcing precise luggage requirements—a discrepancy of even a centimeter can result in steep fees. One passenger learned this the hard way when staff at Bulgaria’s Sofia Airport denied her boarding, leaving her pleading on her knees after a prolonged and distressing ordeal.
The incident, which occurred on July 24, began when an unidentified passenger was asked to pay extra for her bag after airline staff determined it was too large. An eyewitness recorded video of the woman attempting to fit her bag into the baggage sizer in the terminal. She managed to do so forcefully, but staff still refused to let her board without paying additional charges. The video shows her arguing with staff and banging on a glass door, ultimately dropping to her knees in tears.
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Nikolay Stefanov, who recorded the video, said people were shocked by the staff’s lack of compassion. “She was pleading with us not to leave, but we were threatened that the entire flight would be canceled if we didn’t get on the bus, so passengers became frightened and left,” he said.
The video attracted the attention of Bulgarian parliamentarians. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Grozdan Karadjov has ordered an inspection of the security cameras, calling the staff’s behavior “outrageous.” However, Goldair Handling Bulgaria, which provides ground services at the airport, said its employees acted professionally and made no physical contact with the passenger. The company stated that luggage rules are set by the airline.
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In this case, Ryanair allows a small bag (40 x 20 x 25 cm) for free; a larger bag (55 x 40 x 20 cm) incurs an extra charge. The airline also reportedly compensates staff for intercepting oversize bags, with each “gotcha” earning workers €1.50 ($1.70). Recent reports suggest Ryanair may raise this incentive to encourage staff to flag more oversized bags. If a passenger is caught with an oversized bag at the gate, they face hefty fees—much more than if they had paid during booking or check-in.
Airlines earn billions from baggage fees. In the U.S. alone, checked bag fees totaled $7.27 billion in 2024.
Carry-on luggage policies have long been contentious in the E.U. In July, the European Parliament’s transport committee voted in favor of a proposal to require airlines to allow both a personal item and one piece of hand luggage for free. However, the measure could face a lengthy process before becoming law, as it must pass negotiations with the Council of the EU and the European Commission.
Meanwhile, Spain fined Ryanair and four other budget airlines €179 million ($206 million) for “abusive practices,” including charging extra for hand luggage. Ryanair and Norwegian challenged the decision, calling it baseless, and a Spanish court has temporarily stayed the fine pending further review.
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