Airline pays staff bonus for spotting oversized bags
The Irish budget airline Ryanair has a plan to deal with oversized luggage. The airline could increase a bonus it pays to staff for spotting bags that are too big. Ryanair staff currently get a "gate bag bonus" of €1.50 ($1.75) a passenger. This bonus is capped at about €80 ($94) a month. Ryanair's chief ｅxecutive officer (CEO) wants to remove the monthly cap. He hopes removing it will mean fewer large bags going on the aircraft. The CEO said: "We're already struggling with that amount of baggage. That's one of the reasons we are so aggressive about [cutting] the [number] of passengers with excess baggage." Passengers must pay a fee of up to €75 for oversized bags and suitcases.
Ryanair's CEO said being stricter with baggage was necessary, even though most people follow the rules. He said more than 99.9 per cent of passengers have luggage that fits within the size limits. Ryanair said most people knew about the company's baggage rules because they are clear to see on different websites. The company said: "Our bag policies and options are well understood, and we remind customers of this when booking, before they travel, and on their boarding pass. A very small proportion of customers who do not [follow our rules] will be charged at the airport." The company hopes the problem of oversized luggage will disappear within a few years.
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Chat
Talk about these words from the article.
budget airline / luggage / bonus / staff / passenger / CEO / struggling / suitcases / follow the rules / size limits / policies / customers / boarding pass / airport / problem
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True / False
1) Ryanair staff get a bonus for carrying very heavy bags. T / F
2) The most a staff member can currently get as a bonus is $175 a month. T / F
3) The CEO of the airline wants to take away the cap on bonuses. T / F
4) Ryanair passenger must pay a fee of up to 75 euros for oversized bags. T / F
5) The CEO said most passengers followed Ryanair's baggage rules. T / F
6) Ryanair said very few people know about its baggage rules. T / F
7) Ryanair reminds customers about baggage rules when they book. T / F
8) The CEO hopes there will be no more oversized baggage in a few years. T / F
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Discussion
1) What do you think about what you read?
2) What do you think of your country's national airline?
Why are some airlines strict with the weight of baggage?
In what ways are budget airlines and nonbudget airlines different?
Do you worry about what is in the luggage of other passengers?
What good and bad experiences have you had of flying?
What should happen to passengers who do not follow the rules?
What questions would you like to ask the boss of a budget airline?
