Easyjet Baggage Fiddle

[timberup]

Just saw watchdog tonight who say Easyjet are reducing the size of hand luggage you can take onto a flight. Because of weight issues. So now most people are more likely to pay the excessive hold luggage fees for a larger suitcase adding more weight in the hold. Is it me or are easyjet becoming more like Ryanair, no longer the budget no thrills airlines but rip off merchants. B A are looking the better bet. Any views on this topic,

[ubasses]

We had Email from them this evening, they have reducued by 5cm on each side. Their reason is that this will reduce the number of bags that will not fit into the overhead locker.

[jamesnan]

Cabin baggage

New cabin bag guarantee on all flights from 2 July.

Make sure your cabin bag travels with you.

Our customers have told us they want to keep their cabin bag with them – and not have to put it in the hold on busy flights where overhead locker space is limited.

And now you can. Our new cabin bag guarantee means you can make sure your bag travels with you in the cabin, even on the busiest flights.

To take advantage of the guarantee, simply bring ONE slightly smaller bag no bigger than 50 x40 x 20cm including handles and wheels and we’ll guarantee it will travel with you either in the overhead locker or, if necessary, under the seat in front of you.

You can still choose to bring ONE 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 into the hold.

easyJet plus cardholders, FLEXI fare, easyJet plus Upfront or Extra Legroom customers, can continue to bring ONE piece of cabin baggage no bigger than 56 x 45 x 25cm including handles and wheels – and use easyJet plus Speedy Boarding to board first in order to secure space in the overhead lockers.

So if keeping your cabin bag with you is a priority, why not bring a slightly smaller bag (which is still big enough to hold all your travel essentials) and we guarantee it will not go in the hold – even if the flight is full.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE NEW CABIN BAG GUARANTEE ONLY APPLIES FROM 2 JULY 2013.

[Answerprancer]

I heard they are even charging for emotional baggage.

[ChillDoubt]

Had an email about it only yesterday, funnily enough.
Don't see a problem to be honest, I see plenty of people attempting to stuff bags into overhead lockers that doesn't even vaguely resemble hand luggage.

I'll be taking my laptop bag, which IMHO is more than sufficient. I recall some female colleagues a while back who were mortified when the fluids ban came into place. They were distraught that they wouldn't be allowed to take their vanity cases into the cabin. What the funk do you want with a vanity case on a low cost flight to a european destination?!

[askyourgran]

No other view timberup Ryanair and Easyjet are scrounging every last penny from their customers. I wouldn't fly with them, there was talk earlier of having no seats on Ryanair planes just stand up and hold on, I think that idea died a death. Next it will be no toilets.

[society]

Airlines are ripping of people left, right and center.

[DaisyNonna]

Just wish I could reach overhead baggage space on the train.
Fed up of balancing a case on my knees for a 2 hour journey.
Railways never heard of people going on holiday rather than commuting?

[sandyRoe]

They're not doing away with the toilets but you'd need a pound to spend a penny.
Did anything come of that plan?

[DJHawkes]

i know a girl who works on checkin for thomas cook, they get rewards for how much excess they get away with charging for and if a traveller is particularly rude or nasty they can charge them for every gram of excess but if a person is polite and they prefer not to charge them they don;t have to. it's not true apparently that excessive weight affects the plane's flight.

[timberup]

We went with Ryanair a couple of years ago and they wanted to charge me for taking a small bag of duty free (perfume) extra to the hand luggage, which was bought in the airport, so i'm very wary of these companies now

[ChillDoubt]

As I said the new rules won't apply to me anyway, but I am giving serious consideration to using the Eurostar and TGV to get to the South of France next year.

[naomi24]

Where's the fiddle? Smaller bags on Easyjet, maybe, but I didn't think they had a weight restriction which is the issue with 'Excess Baggage'.

Having said that, I wouldn't travel with Ryanair if they paid me! Dunnit, been there, didn't get the T-shirt because they don't allow Duty Free carrier bags on board - so never again.

[hc4361]

I recently flew with Monarch and was unable to put my relatively small bag in the overhead lockers as they were chock a block with very large holdalls and trolley cases.
I had to put my bag under the seat in front, limiting my leg room. There is no way some of the large bags could fit under the seat and in my opinion the current Monarch limit for hand luggage is too big. They are trying to save money on baggage handling costs but most of the passengers had their 20kg hold allowance as well as the 10kg cabin allowance.
I would much prefer 25kg in the hold and 5kg in the cabin

[naomi24]

Chill, check out BA. Their flights are often surprisingly competitive - and so much more civilised.

[ChillDoubt]

Never flown with RyanAir but from what I've been told, this is not a million miles from the truth:

A guy is sitting in the bar in departures at a busy airport.

A beautiful woman walks in and sits down at the table next to him. He decides because she's got a uniform on, she's probably an off-duty flight attendant.

So he decides to have a go at picking her up by identifying the airline she flies for, thereby impressing her greatly.

He leans across to her and says the Delta Airlines motto

'We love to fly and it shows'.

The woman looks at him blankly. He sits back and thinks up another line.

He leans forward again and delivers the Air France motto

'Winning the hearts of the world'.

Again she just stares at him with a slightly puzzled look on her face.

Undeterred, he tries again, this time saying the Malaysian Airlines motto

'Going beyond expectations'.

The woman looks at him sternly and says 'What the f*ck do you want?'

'Ah!' he says, sitting back with a smile on his face – ‘Ryanair’

[ChillDoubt]

Thanks for the tip naomi.

Did make enquiries with Ryanair which proved extortionate. Sleasyjet were £190 cheaper, only downside is I have to travel to Gatwick but it's no big deal, all adds to part of the adventure for my teenage son!

[ChillDoubt]

Forgot to add, Sleasyjet times were better too.

[timberup]

From next year at Gatwick with Easyjet you will only be able to check in online there will be no desks for luggage weighing, it will be done behind the scenes and if you are over your c/c will be automatically debited. So make sure you have some record of weight as it could be their word against yours. This is the view of the BBC travel correspondence, that there will be many disputes because he checked his 20kg bag, (weighed in by the boxing board) yet on EJ's scales found it weighed 20.5 kg. As I said if they can make you put more hold luggage in there is a greater chance to claim excess weight charges. I am cynical because I know some baggage handlers who reckon this is the aim.

[Khandro]

Most people carry around far too much baggage and junk with them anyway. The old adage 'take half the clothes and twice the money' is sound advice.
Why not save space in your tiny allowed case by WEARING more; - two sets of underwear, two pairs of trousers, two shirts etc. but best not to do it during a heat wave. :-)
I have flown with Ryanair many times, mostly Ludwigshaven to Stansted and never had the slightest problem, I once varied it by flying with BA to Stuttgart, it was twice the price and a complete disaster.