RYANAIR IS SET to increase the size of its free “personal” baggage allowance “in the coming week”.

All Ryanair fares include one small personal bag that can be brought on board, which must fit in the seat in front of you.

However, any additional baggage beyond this small personal bag comes at a cost.

What size will the personal baggage increase to?

Ryanair’s current free personal bag size is 40x25x20cm.

This is set to increase this to 40x30x20cm.

Ryanair said this change will happen in the “coming weeks as airport bag sizers are adjusted”.

This 5cm increase means the volume will be 24 litres instead of 20 litres, allowing for a few more T-shirts or underwear.

This increase will bring Ryanair level with its low-budget rivals but it still lags some way behind EasyJet, which allows free personal baggage of 45x36x30cm.

However, Ryanair noted that the new personal bag allowance will be “bigger than the EU standard” that Transport MEPs in the European Parliament are seeking.

So Ryanair is going over and above what MEPs want?

Not exactly.

At the end of last month, Transport MEPs pushed to “reinforce passenger rights” on airlines.

The proposed measures passed a vote unanimously and talks with EU countries on the final shape of the legislation should begin shortly.

MEPs want to introduce common dimensions for hand luggage and state that passengers should have a right to carry on board one personal item with maximum dimensions of 40x30x15 cm.

Ryanair notes that its new free personal baggage allowance will be slightly above this.

However, MEPs also want passengers to be entitled to one small hand luggage, with maximum dimensions of 100cm and 7 kg, without an additional fee.

Currently, Ryanair only permits customers one small personal item and all other bags must be paid for.

The option to add extra bags with Ryanair starts at €30 per flight, and €60 if done at the airport.

Ryanair is opposed to allowing a free 7kg bag in addition to a small personal item.

In a statement in May, Ryanair said: “If airlines were forced to include additional carry-on bags as part of the basic fare, it would reduce choice and drive-up air fares for all passengers, which would harm consumers.”

What else are MEPs seeking?

MEPs also want to ensure children under 12 can be seated next to their accompanying passenger free of charge.

They also want more protections for people with reduced mobility by making sure an accompanying person can travel with them free of charge, and adding a compensation right in case of loss/damage to mobility equipment or injury to an assistance animal.