You’ve been there before: you purchase a budget airline ticket and arrive at the boarding gate to find out that your carry-on luggage doesn’t meet their requirements. Perhaps your bag exceeds the size limit when placed in the “sizer” near the aircraft entry, or maybe you’re carrying an extra item like a purse along with your laptop case.
European consumer organizations are demanding an outright ban on these fees, arguing that each traveler should be permitted to bring a wheeled suitcase along with a “personal item” like a purse or laptop bag without having to pay extra.
What is the likelihood of this actually happening? Simon Calder, the travel correspondent,
The Independent
, has been storing his possessions in the overhead compartment for quite some time now…
Has there always been a battle over carry-on luggage?
No. About two decades back, the inquiries regarding cabin baggage limits were nearly non-existent. However, in 2006, airlines began imposing fees for checked luggage. This trend quickly caught on among low-cost carriers before spreading to traditional major carriers, as expected.
passengers
began stuffing whatever they could into their carry-on luggage.
Rapidly, the overhead compartments became overloaded. In 2015, easyJet informed travelers: “Kindly bring just one carry-on item measuring not more than 50 x 40 x 20 cm, inclusive of handles and wheels. This dimension ensures your luggage will always accompany you inside an overhead bin or beneath the seat ahead. Should you opt for a larger case up to 56 x 45 x 25 cm, which includes handles and wheels as well, please be aware that during peak times, your belongings might end up in the cargo area.”
Next, airlines identified an additional income stream: imposing charges for carrying bigger items of luggage into the cabin.
They also disagree about the precise measurements of the complimentary item, which leads to various conflicts at the boarding gate.
Meanwhile airlines such as
British Airways
view their kind two-item allowance as a strategic advantage.
Who are these European consumer organizations – and precisely what are their desires?
They consist of 16 national organizations spanning the EU, all under the primary BEUC (European Consumer Organisation). Their aim is to establish a uniform and ample restriction on what quantity of items you may bring onto an airplane.
Agustin Reyna, the general director of BEUC, stated: “When purchasing basic tickets, consumers anticipate having access to a personal item along with one piece of carry-on baggage.” This implies that all airlines ought to adopt the policy of allowing two items per passenger like British Airways does.
Standardization plays a crucial role as well. The restrictions on carry-on bags for flights can be incredibly complex. Each airline establishes its own guidelines regarding the precise measurements and weight allowances for personal items.
Some places levy charges for items larger than a small backpack, laptop bag, or handbag, whereas others do not. Numerous “legacy” carriers like British Airways and those based in North America offer a liberal policy allowing up to two pieces of carry-on luggage.
However, budget airlines in Europe have stricter policies. Moreover, they use varying size limits for complimentary carry-on luggage and chargeable rolling suitcases if you wish to include one.
What services do leading carriers provide?
At this time, if you typically travel with Airline X, you can’t presume your luggage will meet the requirements for Airline Y. Currently, the top three low-cost carriers in Europe enforce significantly varied size restrictions for carry-on baggage:
1. Free Bag:
(Note: The term “Free bag” seems incomplete; I’ve kept it as is since more context wasn’t provided.)
-
Easyjet
: 45 cm × 36 cm × 20 cm -
Ryanair
: 40 cm × 25 cm × 20 cm -
Wizz Air
: 40 cm × 30 cm × 20 cm
Paid-for bag:
-
Easyjet
: 56 cm × 45 cm × 25 cm -
Ryanair
: 55 cm × 40 cm × 20 cm -
Wizz Air
: 55 cm x 40 cm x 23 cm
When changed to liters for capacity, the distinctions become clear:
-
Easyjet
: 32 complimentary, 63 requiring payment -
Ryanair
: 20 complimentary, 44 for purchase -
Wizz Air
: 24 complimentary, 51 for purchase
With
easyJet
approximately 50 percent more generous than
Ryanair
There is ample opportunity for standardization.
When it comes to budget carriers, Jet2 stands out by permitting a spacious complimentary carry-on luggage sized at 56 x 45 x 25 cm (63 liters), weighing up to 10 kg, along with an additional personal item (measuring 40 x 30 x 15 cm, or 18 liters).
Only British Airways offers more leniency, with identical measurements and a permissible weight of 23kg for each piece.
How likely are changes?
Courts in Italy and Spain have sided with passengers who want to bring two items of hand luggage, imposing penalties on several budget airlines, notably Ryanair. However, these carriers think they’ll prevail in superior courts since the present system provides passengers options. They argue that mandating airlines to transport extensive amounts of cabin baggage would clog up their operations and drive up ticket prices.
Michael O’Leary of Ryanair
officials in Brussels acknowledged that some limitations will be necessary. He informed me, “We can permit approximately half of the passengers to carry a roll-aboard suitcase onboard. The aircraft does not have sufficient room for additional baggage.”
“We don’t believe there’ll be any law compelling every airline to accept all those rolling suitcases” since “the planes can’t accommodate such luggage.”
Wouldn’t he say that though?
Certainly, as budget airlines derive significant income from fees associated with bigger pieces of checked or carry-on luggage. These low-cost companies disagree with claims that additional baggage costs are concealed. Instead, they assert that their pricing remains completely open and clear. I can understand their perspective on this matter.
Nevertheless, the airlines have drawn additional scrutiny to their policies by significantly increasing baggage fees to an extreme level. For instance, on Saturday, one can easily find numerous Ryanair flights from Edinburgh to Cork priced at £17. However, opting for a bigger carry-on bag would add another £19 to the fare—nearly doubling the total expense. It’s no surprise then that European regulators are examining this issue more closely.
Is there any possibility that airlines will have to make alterations?
I think they will agree to conform to voluntary luggage restrictions.
Last October, the European Parliament adopted a resolution stating: “Harmonizing rules across the EU regarding the dimensions, weight limits, and types of both hand and checked baggage for all airlines within the European Union could improve transparency and protect consumers better.”
To avoid potential legal consequences, I believe the airlines will agree to comply.
Tune into Simon Calder’s travel podcast about carry-on luggage.
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