Maxine Haughian, a 63-year-old retired prison governor from York, recently found herself in a frustrating situation while traveling with Ryanair from Leeds Bradford Airport to Alicante, Spain. Having flown many times before and paid £25 for priority boarding, Maxine assumed the journey would be routine. However, just as she was about to board the plane, Ryanair staff stopped her and requested that she have her cabin bag measured.
The issue arose when her suitcase, which she had used for nearly a decade without incident, was found to be slightly oversized—by just 2cm on the side. Despite this minor difference, Ryanair staff told her that the bag was too large to qualify as a cabin bag and informed her she would need to pay a £75 fee to have the luggage placed in the hold. This fee was a steep charge, especially given that the bag was so close to meeting the airline’s size requirements.
Maxine, a mother of two and grandmother of eleven, was already feeling inconvenienced by the extra charge but soon became even more frustrated when she noticed what she felt were inconsistencies in how Ryanair enforced its baggage policies. While waiting in line to board, she observed other passengers with similar-sized bags being allowed to pass without any issue or additional fees. In particular, she noticed that a “young and attractive” woman was permitted to board without being charged, despite her bag also appearing to exceed the size limits by a similar margin.
This apparent double standard struck Maxine as unfair, prompting her to question how consistently Ryanair was applying its rules. She noted that several other passengers had suitcases that seemed to be just as oversized as hers, yet they were allowed to continue without facing the same penalties. This disparity left Maxine feeling confused and helpless, unsure why she was being singled out.
Reflecting on the situation, Maxine described her frustration with what she saw as a lack of uniformity in enforcing the airline’s guidelines. She felt that if rules are in place, they should be applied fairly to everyone. In her words, “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.” This inconsistency was what bothered her the most, as she couldn’t see any logical reason why some passengers, including herself, were asked to pay the fee, while others with similar-sized bags were allowed to board without incident.
Maxine was so exasperated that she decided to take a photo of the younger woman whose bag had been allowed through without charge. The photo showed the other woman’s bag also sticking out slightly from the luggage measurement rack, similar to Maxine’s own suitcase. Armed with this evidence, she approached Ryanair staff again and showed them the picture, pointing out the discrepancy. To her surprise, after showing the photograph, she was allowed to board the plane without having to pay the fee after all. This resolution seemed to validate her concerns about inconsistency and unfair treatment, but it also left her wondering whether there was more at play than just a random decision.
Maxine acknowledged that her initial anger might have led her to interpret the situation as one of age discrimination, but she still couldn’t shake the feeling that her age and appearance may have played a role in how she was treated. Reflecting on the incident, she said, “I could be wrong that it was simply down to my age and looks, but I can find no other explanation, and that was the only thing that was different.” This feeling of being treated differently because of her age was especially frustrating for Maxine, who had never experienced any problems with her suitcase in her many previous flights with Ryanair.
She added, “It’s not like I’m some hag or anything, but I am older. I’m a bit older, perhaps he thought I would be compliant. A lot of people just paid the money.” For Maxine, the whole situation felt as though she was being targeted because of her age and perceived willingness to comply with the fee without questioning it. She felt that the staff might have assumed that an older woman would be more likely to accept the additional charge without protest, while younger passengers might be treated differently or more leniently.
Maxine also reflected on her reaction, admitting that her remarks about the “young and attractive” woman were somewhat facetious, driven by her frustration in the moment. “That remark was a little bit facetious,” she explained. “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.” Despite recognizing that there might be other factors at play, Maxine couldn’t help but feel that her age was the most likely explanation for the differing treatment.
The incident left Maxine questioning the fairness and transparency of Ryanair’s policies. She expressed skepticism about the airline’s motivations, suggesting that the strict enforcement of baggage size rules may be more about generating extra revenue than about ensuring bags fit in the overhead compartments. “I think it’s definitely a money-making exercise,” she said. “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?”
The inconsistency of enforcement, combined with her sense of being singled out, made the experience particularly unpleasant for Maxine. After all, she had flown with Ryanair numerous times in the past using the same suitcase and had never encountered any issues. The sudden shift in how her luggage was treated left her feeling bewildered and unfairly targeted. “I’ve traveled with Ryanair on numerous occasions with that very same bag and never had any issues,” she emphasized.
While the situation was eventually resolved in Maxine’s favor after she showed the photograph to the Ryanair staff, the incident left a lingering sense of frustration and disappointment. She felt that she had been treated unfairly, possibly due to her age, and that the whole experience had tarnished what should have been a straightforward and enjoyable trip. The lack of a clear and consistent policy regarding luggage sizes only added to her dissatisfaction, as it seemed that the rules were being applied selectively rather than uniformly.
In the end, Ryanair declined to comment on the incident, leaving Maxine with more questions than answers. The experience serves as a reminder of the challenges travelers can face when navigating airline policies, particularly when those policies are enforced in ways that seem arbitrary or inconsistent. For Maxine, the incident was not just about the money but about fairness and respect. All she wanted was for the rules to be applied equally to everyone, regardless of age or appearance, so that all passengers are treated with the same level of fairness and dignity.