Dublin-based Ryanair raised its checked baggage charges to £20 for each leg from prevailing rate of £15. The move intends to fetch nearly £20 million keeping in the mind the busiest summer months of July and August.

The biggest rival of the airline, EasyJet currently charges £18 for baggage weighing up to 20 kg for each leg.

While the airline argued that this would encourage passengers to carry fewer luggages, travel experts feel that families would be the major sufferers of this decision.

According to Joe Gill of Bloxham stockbrokers in Dublin, additional revenue of €23 million would be generated from this decision.

Gill further added that the air carrier might recycle part of the luggage revenue into more competitive fares. He also warned about a possible fall in passenger inflow due to the price change.

As per a spokesman of Ryanair, the company intended to motivate passengers to travel with less baggage this summer. The company targets only 25 per cent of the passengers to check-in luggage as compared to the normal 38 per cent. Ryanair left the weight limit of the luggage unchanged at 15kg.