Airlines offering incentives to staff for enforcing luggage limits: easyJet reportedly gives £1 bonus to airport employees who catch passengers with oversized baggage.
In an effort to streamline luggage rules for passengers across all airlines, the European Union is working diligently to make travel more convenient. However, recent incidents involving baggage size disputes have sparked controversy, particularly with budget airline easyJet.
TikToker Jake Hughes found himself in a heated exchange with easyJet staff at Manchester Airport after being charged £48 for his bag being too large, despite fitting neatly into the airline's baggage size checker. The staff member who clashed with Hughes claimed that the baggage size checker was only for passengers entitled to 'speedy boarding'.
In response to the EU's new regulations, Ryanair has announced plans to boost the size of its free 'personal bag' allowance by 20%, increasing it to 40x30x20cm, surpassing easyJet's current generous allowance of 45x36x20cm. However, it is important to note that easyJet's free bag allowance remains larger than Ryanair's current offering.
The controversy surrounding easyJet doesn't end there. Reports have emerged of a 'gate bag revenue incentive' aimed at rewarding staff for enforcing baggage rules, with employees receiving £1.20 for every 'gate bag' deemed too large to take onboard without paying extra. However, easyJet has distanced itself from this scheme, stating that ground staff are employed by third-party handling companies, which vary between airports.
Amidst the baggage drama, packing experts have shared clever hacks to help travellers save space and stay organized. From threading necklaces through straws to avoid tangling, to placing an AnTag in a suitcase to help find it if it goes missing, these tips offer practical solutions for travelers.
Despite the ongoing controversy, it's clear that both passengers and airlines are seeking ways to make travel more efficient and stress-free. As the EU continues to work on simplifying luggage rules, it will be interesting to see how these changes unfold in the coming weeks.
[1] [2] The search results mainly discuss new EU regulations about cabin baggage fees and unrelated financial topics, but they do not mention easyJet or any staff bonus controversies connected to baggage enforcement.
- With the EU's new regulations encouraging airlines to expand their cabin bag allowances, Jake Hughes found himself in a heated dispute over baggage size at the Manchester Airport with easyJet, despite their videos showing his bag fitting within the airline's size checker.
- As the news of the controversial 'gate bag revenue incentive' for easyJet staff continues to surface, sports enthusiasts eagerly await the resolution of the baggage debacle and hope that travel videos in the future will show a more streamlined and stress-free journey for passengers.
