A 27-year-old flying from Manchester Airport in the U.K. to Lisbon was wrongfully charged $62 (£48) for a carry-on bag even though it fit in his airline’s baggage sizer at the gate. He recorded video about the incident that’s been viewed over 5 million times.
In it, he shows that his black carry-on bag slid smoothly into the sizer. Yet an employee insisted on the charge anyway. “£48 for that is ridiculous,” he’s heard saying in his video. An employee insisted the bag didn’t qualify as a free carry-on, though, since it should “freefall” into the sizer without resistance.
In retaliation for the pushback, the staffer reportedly threatened to terminate the passenger’s boarding pass if he didn’t pay up – and delete the video. He paid, and deleted much of his recording but some clips remained.
@jakehughesss easyjet staff made me delete all of this footage or i wasnt allowed to board… loll #viral ♬ original sound – Jake Hughes
While the airline pays out commission to flight attendants for onboard sales, I’m not familiar with gate agents receiving a part of bag fees collected, though many viewers wonder if that’s what’s going on here.
According to easyJet,
We are investigating with our ground handling provider at Manchester airport to understand why Mr Hughes was charged for his bag which appears to be in line with his allowance, and we have been in touch with him to refund the charge.
Since easyJet makes its money more on fees than fares, they’re known to be a stickler for carry-on bags. Here’s a man who had to prove his bag fit in the sizer at the gate. It barely fit, and he shoved it in so hard, it got stuck for good.
@hotasfo_o dont die for easy jet #fyp #viral #plane #funny ♬ original sound – sam
I’ve had my own run-in with an American Airlines gate agent who demanded I check something that fit in the sizer. I wish I’d had the same gusto as one journalist who called the police on an aggressive gate agent demanding he check his carry-on that fit.
Because it’s Europe, airlines might soon be required to transport all carry-on bags free as the EU considers declaring cabin baggage a human right. Airlines in Europe are often far stricter with carry-ons than the U.S., even the major legacy carriers, enforcing weight limits not just limits on size. And that, to me, is indeed a human rights violation.
Asian and EU carriers are much stricter on carry on bag size AND weight (I have NEVER been asked to weigh my carry on by a U.S. carrier and probably only had my bag sized once).
Any idea why? Just easier/better to board the plane faster vs. collecting some extra revenue and arguments that go along with it?
That’s why I don’t fly LCCs. I just can’t stand the hassle.
This line got me good, Gary: “Because it’s Europe” … Right, like, the EU actually may force ‘big businesses’ to treat us more fairly. Meanwhile, for consumers in Trump’s America, as Elon Musk told advertisers in November 2023, we are going to basically be told by these companies to: “Go. F—. Yourself.” Clearly, they won, and we’re all going to pay the price. It all reminds me of that cartoon/meme with the tattered businessman huddled around the fire in an apparent dystopian near-future, telling the kids: ‘Yes, the planet got destroyed. But for a beautiful moment in time created a lot of value for shareholders.’ That feels more and more likely to be our destiny. So, I expect this next era to be nothing but unchecked greed and corruption, like the airlines letting go of valuable crew while expanding executive pay through stock buybacks, and an eventual recession followed by yet another bailout for the wealthy, while the ‘working class’ wrongly blame ‘wokeness’ or some other boogeyman for their woes. Would love to be wrong about all this.
@Raphael, American Airlines is a LCC? That explains it! Or, rather, explAAins it.
A “human right”? Boy, there’s a new one. For a citizen of the United States, I suggest that the author read the Declaration Of Independence. Your rights are “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” Note…”pursuit” not guarantee. There’s nothing in the Constitution Of The United States that offers “carry on luggage” as a right, either. So, get your stuff correct before pontificating about your luggage as a “right”.
what recourse or options are there if you buy a piece of luggage that is sold as suitable for carry-on and then when you get to the airport you are told “no”…. I have a Tumi roller that might fit on wide-bodies but cant imagine it fitting on smaller places….was sold as a carry-on option. It mainly just sits in my closet.
Why do Low Cost Pax always seem to have these issues? Aha- it’s the Carrier’s. easyjet, Ryan, Jazz… all shyte carriers. The $14.95 saved by flying in these rebranded coffins is not worth having a Jetblue style abrupt parking in the Everglades.
Flying EasyJet (or Spirit), what did the pax expect?
Another trash airline just like Spirit and Frontier.
@Armadillo – Don’t airlines publish a standard size?
“Standard” may be a luggage company’s definition, but some airlines say handles and wheels are included in the sizing.
I will say there are some flights where one side of rhe plane has space smaller than the other side, so natter what, a gate check-in may happen.
Human rights violations go on worldwide and to categorize cabin baggage as one of them is an offensive, and frankly, stupid comparison. Grow up.
The carry on situation is out of hand – the amount of stuff people manage to get on as “carry on” is absurb and those of us who comply with the rules & regulations are penalized as we wait for these selfish entitled people stuff their bags into overhead bins and worse when deplaning as they struggled to get them down again. Flying has become a real pain not only because of the carry on situation but the food passengers bring onboard and their rude behavior, airlines should start to regulate the carry on problem, it would make boarding and deplaning so much smoother and less stressful.
To Armadillo of the Air: Exactly WHEN did JetBlue “park in the Everglades”?
Thank goodness the Biden era is ending. Now passengers will be treated with respect.
many carriers are “stealing” fees today. A year ago one Canadian airline tried to charge me $20 to sit next to my travelling companion as she “saw we have booked together.”
There is no safety issue. Its a maximum revenue issue/cheat if you have to. Avoid the carriers that follow this policy
So, free carryon bags are a human right? Does the EU have people sitting in some hidden room somewhere making up the stupidest things a human being can say? Like a Guinness World Record for stupidity or something?
It reminds me of a video I saw years ago, where police pulled over a “Sovereign Citizen” for speeding. After he declares that our laws don’t apply to him, he says he has a constitutional right to “pursuit of happiness” and speeding made him happy.
This is the world we live in. Birth should come with a mandatory straight jacket these days.