Airline Demands Couple Cough Up Almost $100 To Take 2 Pastries On Board & Sparks Political Row

Jun 06, 2023

Air travel can be tricky business, particularly if you’re flying with a low-cost carrier, many of which impose strict rules concerning baggage and weight. One couple discovered the hard way just how particular such airlines can be when they embarked on a flight in May 2023. 

The incident began when two passengers at the Palma de Mallorca airport in Spain were stopped by ground staff from boarding a Ryanair flight for attempting to bring aboard two local Mallorcan pastries – known as ensaïmada – alongside their hand luggage. The airline claimed bringing the delicious baked goods on board would exceed their cabin limit and proceeded to demand they each pay a €45 (about $48) fee to take the delicacies with them. Unsurprisingly, the couple decided to discard them rather than cough up the extra cash.

While the incident could be boiled down to a budget airline simply looking to make a quick buck off a seemingly arbitrary rule, the matter quickly incited the furor of local lawmakers. According to The Guardian, the row prompted Iago Negueruela, the Balearics’ tourism minister, to call a meeting between the airline and the local pastry makers association “in order to defend local produce and avoid any kind of discrimination.”

Ensaïmadas are a traditional pastry from the Spanish island of Mallorca. They are spiral-shaped, sweet and fluffy pastries typically made with flour, sugar, eggs, water and pork lard, known as “saïm.” Ensaïmadas have become popular beyond the island of Mallorca and can be found in many regions of Spain and other Spanish-speaking countries. They are often enjoyed on special occasions, festivals or as a sweet treat any time of the day.

According to The Guardian, the president of the Balearic Islands pastry-makers association, Pep Magraner, wanted the rules at the airport streamlined.

“All the other airlines allow passengers to take two ensaïmadas on board,” Magraner said. “It’s only a problem with Ryanair, but we’re talking about a lot of flights, especially to the Spanish mainland, which is the destination of most of the ensaïmadas.”

Meanwhile, local politician Jaume Alzamora laid the blame solely on the airport’s management authority Aena, which he claimed does “business” with outlets inside the airport, “often with companies from outside Mallorca.”

“Més has sent a letter to Aena and Ryanair to allow Mallorcan products bought outside the airport to be carried without restrictions or extra costs for tourists, because the aim is to defend Mallorcan products made in Mallorcan bakeries and pastry shops,” he said, according to the Mirror.

The issue has touched on the wider complications surrounding what constitutes hand luggage and what some local authorities have described as exploitative fees imposed by certain airlines. In 2022, the Balearic Islands’ consumer affairs office filed suits against five budget airlines – Ryanair, Vueling, easyJet, Eurowings and Volotea – for charging excessive fees for hand luggage and urged that a €20,000 fine be imposed on them. The office argued that the airlines’ clauses limiting the number of hand luggage passengers could take into the cabin or demanding high fees to be able to take them on board was abusive.

According to the Ryanair website, passengers are allowed to bring one small bag on board without charge. Prices for “Priority & 2 Cabin Bags” was stated as being between £6 to £35.99 (about $7 to $44.60).

What are your thoughts on the issue? Have you ever had any problems concerning carry-on luggage or items? If so, let us know and be sure to pass this on to friends and family, too.