737Av8tor

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-55156512

For those who can't access the link:EasyJet customers who want to use overhead luggage lockers will have to buy more expensive tickets.

In a move which provoked criticism on social media, Easyjet said the changes to its luggage policy will start on 10 February.

Customers who don't buy the more expensive tickets will be restricted to putting a small carry-on bag under their seat.

Easyjet said the changes would improve punctuality.

But some customers reacted with dismay on Twitter, with one calling it an "absolutely terrible move".

"Like Ryanair, [they are] monetising every opportunity in a race to the bottom," they said.

Whatever next ? Bring your own steps for boarding ?

1010101

That's a shame. I won't be flying with them as long as that policy exists.

Customers can take the nickel and diming if there is a way around it. Most people can do without food and drink onboard, most can do without check-in luggage, or other frills that have been removed over the years. They can't do without any luggage space at all though.

AHC96

Now I have less incentive to fly with them. Now there's no real comparison between EZY, DY and FR. What other low-cost operating from the UK offer free overhead luggage?

Romanianflyer

The move to ask for a surcharge isn't that weird. After all, the main competitors (FR, W6) already charged for large cabin luggage. It's just a matter of time for easyJet and other low-cost competitors to follow suit.

What puzzles me most is how easyJet is implementing this. While for FR and W6 it's just a simple (and relatively cheap) priority boarding add-on which allows you to bring a large cabin bag, for easyJet it is now connected to premium seats you buy. But what if all these seats are already taken? Then your only option is to buy a flex fair, which is a *lot* more expensive. A front-row or exit row seat might just be 20 EUR or so, but a flex ticket might easily be a 80-100 EUR premium.

I'm highly curious how this works out in practice.

Im a new user

This change actually makes perfect sense. With LCCs the idea is that you should only pay for those services that you actually need. Some passengers only need check-in luggage while other passengers only need hand luggage. This allows passengers to choose which kind of luggage they want. It also fits with the LCC idea that you shouldn't see the total price until the final step because you need to add so many extras to the ticket.

Concerto

But it seems that you can't actually pay for the extra option of taking a larger bag on board, you either have to buy the more expensive fares or extra legroom seats or you will be whacked with a GBP55 surcharge to have the bag placed in the hold. That's the way I read it when I read the article on Raffle's HfP blog the other day, where there was a huge discussion about it. A day or two later I had wondered why there wasn't a thread about it here (and probably should have started one).

I have never been a fan of easyJet after a couple of not very nice experiences with mainly ground staff, but also on one flight where the crew should have been working in a borstal. And a few years ago (maybe five?) there was the issue of too many flights and not enough aircraft and interminable delays, cancellations, bad treatment of pax etc, which I think mainly concerned flights ex GVA. Then, in the last 3 years, they seemed to become more mainstream, more like a real and normal airline and I honestly had a couple of very good flight experiences with them. But underneath it all, they are a LCC seeking to monetize everything and I don't like them and never will.

I just counted and out of 1,305 sectors only 28 were with easyJet (including easyJet Switzerland).

1010101

I think you've misunderstood it. Anything other than a small backpack/handbag must be paid for. Most Easyjet customers are on weekend trips or short business trips i.e they need a small carry on. There are going to be a lot of very angry passengers if they start getting penalised for something they can't do without.

Freddorick

Great news for BA.

I always preferred U2 over FR and W6 because of the carry on allowance. Now they are actually worse, seems like its actually not possible to buy a carry on. BA is the real winner here, I sometimes preferred easy over BA at a similar price if their departure time was better, not sure if I would still do this now.

Maybe it’s time to renew my wizzair discount club membership 😀

Im a new user

Exactly, but U2 doesn't know if the passenger needs to have the bag in the cabin or in the hold. I'd imagine that most passengers need more luggage than included in the base fare, but now passengers get to choose where they want the luggage. Also, the idea with LCCs is that you should be subject to strange hidden fees, like pay with the most uncommon credit or debit card on the market or you'll be hit with a card payment fee. I remember waiting in a shop about a decade ago while a friend was booking an FR ticket on the computer at home so that I could buy a prepaid MasterCard card with the right amount to pay for the ticket without having to pay the card payment fee. My friend texted me the full amount and then I bought the card and texted the card number back to my friend so that the tickets could be paid. Even earlier, you wouldn't see the taxes, fees and charges until very late in the booking flow. The no luggage unless you pay extra thing is just a new version of this idea that you shouldn't see the full price until the final step.

Isn't the idea with LCCs that you should be angry at the airline? I'll never use this airline again - until it's time to buy tickets the next time when I will have forgotten about all of this.

Of course, some shady OTAs only offer the cheapest tickets and won't let the passenger add any luggage. More revenue for U2 when the passengers need to change their tickets or pay for bags at the airport!