You know the feeling: you buy a budget airline ticket and turn up at the departure gate only to discover that you have the wrong sort of hand baggage. It might be too big for the “sizer” at the entrance to the plane, you may have one too many items – such as a handbag as well as a laptop case.
European consumer groups are calling for such penalties to be banned, saying every passenger should be allowed to carry a rollalong case, as well as a “personal item” such as a handbag or laptop bag, free of charge.
How likely is this to come to pass? Simon Calder, travel correspondent of The Independent, has been stowing his belongings in the overhead locker for a good few years …
Have there always been cabin baggage wars?
No. A couple of decades ago, the number of questions I received about cabin baggage allowances was close to zero. But in 2006, airlines started charging for checked baggage. As the practice spread swiftly through the budget airlines and then the “legacy” carriers, inevitably passengers started cramming whatever they could into cabin baggage.
Very quickly, the overhead bins started flowing over. In 2015, easyJet told passengers: “Please only bring ONE piece of cabin baggage, no bigger than 50 x 40 x 20cm including handles and wheels. We guarantee this size will always travel with you either in the overhead locker, or if necessary, under the seat in front of you. You can bring a slightly bigger bag up to the maximum size of 56 x 45 x 25cm including handles and wheels, but on some busy flights, your bag may have to go in the hold.”
Then airlines spotted another revenue source: charging for taking larger pieces of cabin baggage on board.
They don’t agree about the exact dimensions on the free item, either – leading to all manner of disputes at the boarding gate.
Meanwhile airlines such as British Airways see their generous two-piece allowance as a marketing edge.
Who are these European consumer groups – and what exactly do they want?
They comprise 16 national bodies from across the EU, under the main European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) umbrella. They want a consistent, generous limit on how much you can take into the aircraft.
Agustin Reyna, director general of BEUC, said: “Consumers expect to see a small item and a piece of hand luggage when buying basic tickets.” In…
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