With its stricter baggage policy, easyJet is following the example of its competitor Ryanair, which has been charging extra costs for taking large items of hand luggage with you since the autumn of 2018. The intervention comes at a time when aviation is in deep crisis due to travel restrictions against the corona pandemic, with easyJet operating only 20 percent of its normal flight schedule.
Additional source of income
With the tightening of the rules for hand luggage, easyJet is also tapping into an additional source of income. After all, extra legroom or check-in luggage has to be paid extra. Last year, when aviation was not yet affected by the corona crisis, additional payments for, for example, extra seating space accounted for a fifth of easyJet’s sales.
According to the British airline itself, the main thing is that travelers have more clarity about the options for their luggage. At the moment, large suitcases or bags can still be taken to the passenger area, provided they fit in the lockers above the seats. Chaotic situations with baggage that ultimately do not fit here would cause delays and easyJet now wants to get rid of that. “Punctuality is important to our customers,” said Robert Carey, Chief Commercial Officer.
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