Maxine Haughian was flying to Alicante, Spain, from Leeds Bradford Airport last month when she was stopped in the queue to have her cabin bag measured.
The 63-year-old, who had paid £25 for priority boarding, claims the bag fit inside the guidance rack – but stuck out ‘very slightly’ by 2cm on the side.
The mum-of-two said Ryanair staff told her the case was ‘too big’ and asked her to pay £75 to place the luggage into the hold.
However while waiting to board, the retired prison governor claims she began noticing other passengers were allowed through without charge – despite having the same sized suitcase as her.
The grandma-of-11 claims a ‘young and attractive’ woman avoided a fee despite her case ‘sticking out the same amount’ – prompting Maxine to question how Ryanair enforces their guidelines.
The gran, who lives in York, said she has travelled numerous times on Ryanair with the same suitcase and never faced any issues in the past.
Maxine said: “I’ve travelled lots of times before and this is the suitcase I’ve used for nearly ten years and it’s never been an issue.
“Several people had suitcases that looked exactly the same as mine and they were putting them in the rack and it was sticking out a bit, but they were allowed to go through. It was the inconsistency of it all.
“If you’ve got rules, they should be applied evenly and equally. I couldn’t determine how they were applying the rules. It made me feel helpless.”
Exasperated, Maxine took a photograph of a ‘young and attractive’ woman whose bag was allowed through without a fee – despite being oversized.
The mum claims she was eventually permitted on the plane without charge after showing staff the picture of the younger lady’s case not fitting either but her being allowed on.
Reflecting on her rant, Maxine acknowledged that she could be wrong that it was simply down to her age and looks but said she could find no other explanation and ‘that was the only thing that was different’.
Maxine said: “It was almost like letting me go justified what I was saying. I think it’s definitely a money-making exercise.
“If it’s just about checking if cases fit in the overhead locker, it does. And they do have discretion so why did they choose me and not allow me to go through.
“I’m a bit older, perhaps he thought I would be compliant. A lot of people just paid the money.
“It’s not like I’m some hag or anything but I am older.
“That remark [about her being younger than me] was a little bit facetious. I guess I was just angry at the time and felt like why else are you letting this person through because to me I can’t see anything that differentiates that person or her bag and me and my bag other than the fact that person is significantly younger than I am.
“I can’t see what reason there would be for that to have happened – for it to be okay for some people to go through and not for me to go through.
“And in that instance the only thing that differentiates us was the fact that that was a young, good looking female and I’m not young.
“I’ve travelled with Ryanair numerous occasions with that very same bag and never had any issues.”
Ryanair declined to comment.
