Holiday goers of a certain age will remember the days of packing a suitcase full to the brim of outfits for every occasion, shoes to match and an entire series of paperbacks to read by the pool.
Things are a little different these days (thank goodness for e-readers!) and due to economic pressures, airlines have had to change their baggage policies and allowances.
With the introduction of different fees for both checked bags and hand luggage, alongside weight and size restrictions, navigating what you will and won’t be charged for when it comes to your luggage can be tricky.
We take a look at easyJet’s approach to holiday baggage and how it compares to other airlines.
Hand luggage
The first thing to bear in mind when booking flights with easyJet is that all passengers are permitted to take one small cabin bag, free of charge. The bag can be up to 45 x 36 x 20cm which is a fairly decent size- think a small overnight case or holdall.
This means that those who can travel light and are perhaps just going away for a short break can travel without having to pay for baggage fees.
To make things easier, many retailers will sell bags and cases to this exact size, so you can’t go wrong!
You can take a larger bag of up to 56 x 45 x 25cm on board free of charge if one or more of the following applies:
- You have paid for an Up Front or Extra Legroom seat
- You are an easyJet Plus member
- You are a FLEXI fare passenger
If none of these apply, you can still take a large cabin bag on board, but fees will apply.
Hold luggage and charges
If you’re planning on tearing yourself away from the delights of Weybridge for a little longer, or are jetting off with the family and need to take a little more luggage, you will need to pay for your bags or suitcases.
With easyJet, bags may weigh up to 23kg, after which further charges will apply. The overall weight of each bag must not exceed 32kg.
If you’re travelling with a group or as a family, you are permitted to pool your overall luggage allowance.
Comparing the baggage market
Little add-ons such as airport parking or travel, paying for allocated seats and indeed baggage charges can soon mount up so it’s definitely worth doing a little bit of research before you book.
Working out which is the most cost-effective airline when it comes to your luggage isn’t the most straightforward of calculations. It may be the case that larger airlines such as Emirates and British Airways offer free baggage allowance, but you’ll probably end up paying more for the flight itself. Some airlines, such as Jet2 have a larger allowance when it comes to the size of your bag, but easyJet has a larger weight allowance.
So many differing price factors make it hard to pinpoint which airline wins the title of most cost-effective when it comes to luggage.
However, when it comes to budget airlines, easyJet’s baggage allowance of 23kg is one of the most generous. Moreover, if you’re travelling light for that mini-break to Europe, you probably won’t have to pay any charges at all, making easyJet a great place to start!