Easyjet will start charging for cabin bags

Europe’s second largest low cost carrier has just written to all its customers notifying them of a fairly big change to its cabin bag policy. From 10th February 2021, Easyjet will start charging for cabin bags. Only a small number of passengers will be allowed to bring on standard-sized cabin bags and they will have to pay for the privilege.

The effects of coronavirus have left airline finances in dire straits. So, it comes as no surprise to see low cost carriers exploring options to extract more money from passengers.

In a recent trip report, we highlighted that Easyjet are requiring passengers travelling Turkey to check-in cabin bags. Safety reasons were cited and passengers weren’t charged to check bags in at the airport. At the time, it seemed like that policy was an attempt to reduce bags in the overhead bins. It appears the policy starting in February has similar aims.

No free standard-sized cabin bags on regular fares

In their email, Easyjet say

All customers can bring on board one small cabin bag (max. 45 x 36 x 20 cm), and this must fit under the seat in front of them.

They go on to say:

Customers who have booked an Up front or Extra legroom seat can also bring on board a large cabin bag (max. 56 x 45 x 25 cm), which must fit in the overhead locker. These seats can be selected at the time of booking, or at any time before you check-in.

That effectively means that you can no longer carry on a small wheelie suitcases, unless you pay extra to book a seat. You can’t just book the cheap seats, either. Only extra legroom and seats at the front of the aircraft come with the extra cabin baggage allowance. This will cost anywhere between £8 and £35 per flight.

Passengers in all other seats will have to pay extra to check larger cabin bags into the hold. This will cost up to £35 per 15kg bag, per flight. There is no option for passengers booking standard seats to bring a larger cabin bag onto the aircraft.

Additionally, remember that it costs £55 if you show up at the airport without your bag booked, so be sure to purchase your luggage in advance.

This is a big change

Easyjet is going to start charging for cabin bags. While only a small change in the allowable size, most standard-sized roll-on cabin bags will be too large and will need to be checked in. Checking bags into the hold costs extra money. Read more about the change on Easyjet’s website.

BG1 Verdict

You can get around the new cabin baggage restriction by throwing out your old wheelie cabin suitcase and buying one that measures 45 x 36 x 20 cm. It remains to be seen if Easyjet’s change will redefine the industry standard for cabin suitcase sizes.

The revenue model with low cost carriers is simple: you pay rock bottom fares for the seat, from which the airline makes little profit. If you want more than a seat, you pay for the extras, which deliver the profit for the airline. If you don’t like this way of paying to travel, fly with airlines that package all the extras into the price of the fare.