Originally Posted by
alexanderrr
I am sure that it is visible somewhere in the system, but when you put your BP next to a scanner -it will just scan it and let you go. If an agent will be looking at his screen for every single pax - whether he used this option or not - this will certainly delay the boarding, i.e. the opposite of what Easyjet wants to achieve with this option.
No, when you select hands free option a comment will be flagged in your booking and when boarding require confirmation from the gate agent to allow boarding. It's the same thing which happens if you have an exit row seat, booking with a high number of flights in it (I think above 12 or so).
The gate agent will have to confirm you don't have any hand luggage, otherwise charge you for it. The comment can't just be ignored, it has to be confirmed to allow you to board (and them to process the following pax). Also gate agents do look at their screens as they are supposed to check ID, seat number and speedy boarding/easyjet plus also.
The T&Cs are quite clear that you will be charged as if you showed up with a second piece of hand luggage, so the gate agent either collects the fee from the pax or refuses boarding, it's not much more complicated than that.
Note that the easyJet app actually advises users the day of the flight about the hands free option (at airports where offered), so it is being advertised both at airport counters and on the mobile app.
As hands free does come with priority boarding, it is meant that people who don't comply are found earlier in the process - thus more time to collect fees or offload them in case of non-compliance.