Sarah Mooney
Most Aer Lingus passengers can no longer take a free carry-on bag weighing up to 10kg on board with them, under changes to the airline’s baggage rules.
The new policy applies to short-haul flights within Europe, including to the United Kingdom, and will apply to customers travelling from June 29th onwards.
It means passengers must now purchase priority boarding priced from €5.99 upwards in order to take their carry-on bag on board.
Alternatively, passengers will still be able to take a 10kg bag with them free of charge, by dropping it off at check-in at the airport for it to be stored in the hold of the plane.
Those who fail to check in their bag will be charged a €35 fee to place it in the aircraft hold if they arrive with it at the boarding gate.
'Improve experience'
Aer Lingus said the changes had been introduced “to ensure faster boarding and de-planing, therefore improving overall customer experience.”
“All Aer Lingus customers can continue to carry one small bag on board for free. That bag must be within the correct dimensions to fit under the seat in front of them,” the airline said in a statement.
“Customers that wish to bring a 10kg bag on board will need to pay a fee, which includes priority boarding.
“Customers who do not wish avail of this option can now check in a 10kg bag at the check-in desk or kiosk for free.”
The new priority boarding option including a carry-on bag became available on aerlingus.com and the airline's mobile app yesterday, June 17th.
Under the new policy, customers can add a 10kg carry-on bag to their flight at the booking stage or up to two hours before their flight via the Manage Trip section, subject to availability.
Exceptions
Under the new rules, all customers will still be entitled to take one smaller personal item, such as a handbag or laptop bag, on board with them to be stowed under the seat in front.
Certain customers will still be entitled to take a larger 10kg carry-on bag on board to store in an overhead locker for no additional cost, including Silver, Platinum and Concierge AerClub members and customers connecting to or from transatlantic flights.
A larger carry-on bag to be brought on board is also included in the airline’s Plus, Advantage and AerSpace fare types.
AerClub Green members and other customers must purchase a 10kg carry-on bag with priority boarding if they wish to carry their bag on board, and all passengers carrying a bag on board must check in online or via the Aer Lingus app.
If a passenger is connecting to or from an Aer Lingus transatlantic flight to an Aer Lingus Regional flight, a 7kg carry-on baggage allowance will apply for both parts of the journey.
The new baggage policy brings Aer Lingus’ rules in line with Ryanair’s, which allows only priority boarding passengers to take one small personal bag and a larger cabin bag of maximum 10kg into the cabin free of charge.
Non-priority Ryanair customers must check in their 10kg bag for a fee.
This article was amended on 18/06/21 at 5.01pm.
