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Routes to the Canary Islands will not benefit from a reduction in baggage fees after September 1, unlike every other route hosted by budget carrier, Ryanair.

At present, travellers departing from Leeds for the Canary Islands can expect to be charged €20 and €30 for small and large bags, respectively. However, baggage fees usually drop back to their winter levels after the summer season, an average of €5 less than at peak times.

The levy only applies to customers who choose to carry extra checked-in luggage, instead of taking advantage of Ryanair’s free 10kg carry-on allowance, but this is likely to include families and groups of friends holidaying abroad.

Ryanair claims that the added baggage fee on flights to the Canary Islands is to encourage people to travel light, but it appears much more likely that the budget carrier is attempting to cash in on the high volume of traffic that travels to the Canaries as part of ‘winter sun’ deals.

Stephen McNamara, Ryanair’s head of communications, claims that only 30% of passengers will be affected by the baggage fees, as the majority choose to travel with just a carry-on bag.

Ryanair's luggage levy has prompted a boom in the number of people travelling with the airline, according to Stephen, whilst simultaneously reducing the number of bags that need to be carried.

The last two winters have been cold and snowy in the UK, and British summers have never been the stuff of legends, so sun and sea holidays are becoming popular all-year round. The Canary Islands in particular are accessible from a number of large airports, including Leeds Bradford.

Leeds currently offers four Ryanair routes to Canarian destinations, namely, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, Tenerife and Gran Canaria.