No-frills airlines are finding new, sneaky ways to squeeze money from passengers – by tightening up their hand luggage rules.
Norma Latham, 76, was horrified when her son Stuart was stopped while boarding an easyJet flight home from their holiday in the Spanish resort of Benidorm in May.
Stuart, 51, had kindly offered to carry his mother’s hand luggage onto the plane while also carrying his own bag.
But when asked to show his boarding pass, staff at Alicante airport demanded Stuart pay 58 euros (£50) to take her navy-and-white polka dot tote bag on board.
Norma was furious after she had to pay a £50 charge for a bag that was, she says, clearly hers
Norma, a retired chiropodist from Brentwood in Essex, says: ‘Despite him politely explaining it was my bag – as was obviously the case – and he pointed me out up ahead, the attendant would not budge.’
The pair had already paid for these bags as part of the allowance when purchasing the tickets and were breaking no rules.
Yet Stuart was told he could not board the plane until money was handed over.
Norma says: ‘I was forced to return to the gate and pay the charge before we were allowed to fly home. We ended up as the last ones on the plane.
‘My son was only trying to be kind – you should not be fined for trying to help.’
Travel experts warn airlines are increasingly halting passengers at the gate if they believe they have broken restrictions.
Budget airlines have drastically reduced the size of the hand luggage passengers can take to squeeze more money out of passengers. This trick allows airlines to market tickets at rock-bottom prices –until you add baggage allowance.
Budget airlines have drastically reduced the size of the hand luggage passengers can take
As long as you abide by the different size and weight restrictions of each airline, you are usually allowed to carry on one small bag free plus another larger cabin item paid for separately. This is often sold as part of a more expensive ‘priority’ ticket option.
Aware of the size changes, Norma had spent £35 on a new cabin bag to ensure it would fit under the seat in front of her.
Separately, she had paid an extra £50 for a suitcase weighing up to 23kg to be put in the plane hold.
Norma herself was carrying a duty free shopping bag, which is generally treated as separate to a carry-on luggage allowance if the items are bought after check-in.
She says: ‘Stuart was helping with my cabin bag because I had a couple of bottles of duty free rum in a sealed plastic bag.’
Furious at the way she was treated, Norma emailed easyJet asking for a refund once she got home.
EasyJet’s ‘resolution support’ team response eight days later said: ‘Your son had carried two cabin bags at the boarding gate – that is the reason you have been charged. I am sorry to inform we are unable to honour your request for a refund.’
Undeterred, Norma immediately replied because she felt the airline was still in the wrong. After a further eight days, EasyJet responded – this time thanking her for ‘reaching out’ and offered a 58-euro flight voucher.
Norma says: ‘Targeting elderly or infirm people who might like some help with their bags is shameful behaviour.’
Norma accepted the voucher and the next day easyJet replied: ‘We are sorry to hear you found the baggage charge unfair due to physical limitations.
‘In the case of excess baggage, even if it belongs to another passenger, extra charges apply. This is to ensure the safety and comfort of all our passengers. Your suggestion making it clear at the boarding gates each passenger must carry their own luggage is noted.’
A spokesman for easyJet says: ‘We are sorry that Mrs Latham’s son was incorrectly charged for the additional bag belonging to his mother. Our ground crew were not aware they were travelling together. We apologise for the misunderstanding and are refunding the charge and will also provide a gesture of goodwill.’
Norma is using the voucher to book a trip to the Gran Canaria in January. Travelling alone, she will have to carry her own bag – so at least should avoid a fine.
What should you do to avoid charges? According to market researcher IdeaWorksCompany, baggage charges can account for a quarter of the revenue for no-frills airlines that rely on such extras.
Travel experts warn airlines are increasingly halting passengers at the gate over their baggage
Check out individual airline restrictions on hand luggage – as they vary widely. Don’t forget to include wheels in your measurements, and a handle that might stick out.
Ryanair has shrunk the size limit of free hand luggage from 55x40x20cm – the size of a small wheelie suitcase – to 40x20x25cm the size of a laptop bag.
The carrier can charge £45 if your free hand luggage exceeds the size and £70 if the larger hand luggage is too big or weighs more than 10kg.
EasyJet changed its free hand luggage size from 56x45x25cm, the size of a small backpack, three years ago to 45x36x20cm, the size of a tote bag. It has a fee of £48 if you break its hand luggage limit.
Wizz Air has cut the free limit from 55x40x23cm, a small backpack, to 40x30x20cm, the size of a handbag. It can demand anything from £10 to £106 for a single journey if your bag is too big or weighs more than 10kg depending on when and where you fly.
The hope is that this move will encourage more passengers to spend extra – typically between £6 and £50 – to get an upgraded seat that includes adding a bigger cabin bag.
If caught breaking these limits passengers can face a stiff penalty and also have to hand over bags to be put in the hold at extra charge.
Katy Maclure, expert at money-saving travel website Jack’s Flight Club, says: ‘It is cheaper to buy the required luggage allowance although some people may still be tempted to gamble on not being caught.’