[FlyerAlert]

The EASYJET airlines Trap.


Last month while visiting relatives in England I booked a flight within Europe with easyJet airlines. The flight left out of Liverpool which was the closest airport to my relatives. The price of the flight was quite reasonable especially as I did not have any luggage to check. My wife and I just had a carryon bag each.


The requirements for travel allowed for one carryon with no extra hand baggage, unlike the USA where a laptop bag or purse is allowed also. The requirements stated the measurements for the carryon in metric sizes. I did not concern myself with this as I have flown worldwide with my carryon bag and never have had it refused in the cabin overhead. In fact I had purchased my carryon bag in England a year before and it had fit in all overhead compartments on numerous flights.


With no check-in luggage easyJet airlines requests that you check in online, print you boarding pass and go directly to the gate at the airport. We did this but when we started to board we were stopped by the boarding personnel and told our bags were too large. They had a size test cradle by the gate and when I put my bag in to test it did fit except for the wheels. In fact it fit in at an angle with less than half an inch of wheel restricting it.



Looking at the gate attendant I expected to get an approval but was told our bags would need to be checked into the aircraft's hold. I figured that would be a minor inconvenience but I had no choice as the plane was boarding.
Then I was told for each bag there was a charge of 40 English Pounds about $70 US (worse if you changed money at the airport). It was a wonderful trap; either you pay up now or you can't take your luggage or you don't take the flight.



I paid about $140 with a credit card right there (what a stroke of luck they had a credit card machine and the procedure in place to process them). This charge turned out to be more than the cost of the tickets.


I suspect - but can't verify - that someone in the employ of Easyjet airlines measured the typical carryon bag sold in many stores, even in England, and created a bag test cradle "one centimeter" smaller (see, I do know the metric terminology even though I don't carry a metric tape measure to the airport). See attachment for a photo of my bag.

I considered cancelling the credit card charge after I got off the flight and I had my luggage in my hand but that would probable cause much more hassle with demand notices in the future. Instead I wrote this post so other folks would not fall into the same trap.



PS I'm going to look for a children's bag for when I ever need to fly easyJet again, assuming they don't get wise to that size bag or remove the overhead compartments from their aircraft.


B Dickinson