Ryanair staff are given bonuses for catching oversized cabin bags, Michael O’Leary confirms

Michael O'Leary confirmed the bonus scheme

Many of us have been fined at the gate for having a bag that's a little too big, and it can really set your holiday off on the wrong foot.

However, Ryanair boss O'Leary says they're "struggling" to deal with passengers' baggage.

He told RTÉ's Morning Ireland:

"One of the things that irritates our passengers most is people who show up with a rucksack claiming that it fits in the sizer.

"If it doesn't fit in the sizer, it’s not getting on. Our passengers will be paying the excess bag fees, but more than 99.9% of passengers comply.

He continued: "The tiny minority who don't will pay the fees, and we are more than happy to incentivise our [staff] with a share of those excess baggage fees which we think will decline over the coming year or two."

Passengers are typically charged between €70 and €75 if their bag is oversized.

Staff are usually paid €1.50 to catch oversized bags.

The Sunday Times confirmed the bonus scheme in a report over the weekend.

O'Leary confirmed that they're already struggling with the amount of baggage passengers are taking on their planes.

“In fact, we’re already struggling with that amount of baggage. That’s one of the reasons we are so aggressive about eliminating the scourge of passengers with excess baggage."