In the footage from a fellow passenger the mum can be seen looking overwhelmed as the children run about, reports the Daily Mirror.
On the verge of tears she runs her fingers through her hair and puts her hands to her head.
A young man also waiting at the desk notices her anxiety and reassures her: “It’s alright, it’s alright.”
The tearful mum responds to his kind words, before the stranger smiles and adds “Don’t worry, I’ll pay for you” before handing over his card at the desk.
A man can be heard asking if the bagging allowance size has changed as the payment goes through, while the mum’s older child can be heard telling his sibling: “No no, mama is upset.”
It was shared on Twitter along with the caption: “Well done to this young hero for paying the ridiculous Ryanair baggage charges for a distressed mother travelling with 3 kids (who wasn’t getting any leniency from ground staff).
“The flight from Ibiza to Stansted was half empty, not sure what difference a few cm would make.”
The passenger who captured the video said: “As far as I could tell, the mother with her children had got caught out with a bag that exceeded the allowance on her ticket.
“She was upset and rather tearful while also trying to keep an eye on her kids.
“By the time I figured out what was going on, a young man stepped up to the ground handling staff and was heard to say ‘it’s okay, I’ll pay’.”