MSE News: Budget airline Wizz Air to charge for hand luggage

Former_MSE_Helen · 11 July 2012 at 4:20PM

"Wizz Air will trial a €10 fee on one of its routes, which could become standard in future..."

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Budget airline Wizz Air to charge for hand luggage

marlowko · 11 July 2012 at 4:47PM

Charge on wearing heavy jacket, large shoes, hat? :eek: Anyway, I guess Ryanair and other low-costs will follow suit sooner or later...

NFH · 11 July 2012 at 5:04PM

We need a general regulation that advertised fares (throughout the booking process) must include all optional extras that the majority of passengers need. The only way to deal with this malpractice by airlines is to introduce a law worded in an open-ended way that makes it impossible for them to exclude unavoidable or nearly-unavoidable charges from advertised fares.

richardw · 11 July 2012 at 6:20PM

It's already happened in the US on Spirit airlines for the over head locker sized luggage, the under the seat in front of you is still free.

jessc_2001 · 11 July 2012 at 7:16PM

Whilst I have no problem (as in, it's unavoidable on budget airlines) being charged for hold luggage; or even excess luggage - being charged for hand luggage is taking it a bit far methinks.

If you want to take it to extremes, how about restricting the carriage of hand luggage to adults only? I have been on a number of flights where children are trailing their 'cute' luggage behind them, with the adults lifting it into the overhead lockers. I'm not against kids taking responsibility for their bits and pieces, but do they really need to have a hard case suitcase?

The point of the above is that the amount of overhead luggage space is finite, the reason (I think) that the dimension restrictions apply is that people don't bring a full size suitcase on board and expect it to be kept in the cabin, plus the luggage has to be lifted, by the passenger into the overhead lockers (OK I know some people do require assistance, and I'm fine with that)

I don't know anyone who does not travel with at least one item of "luggage" - In fact, if you don't you could be viewed with suspicion by staff....

All told - bad idea Wizz...

epm-84 · 11 July 2012 at 7:41PM

I think Wizz Air do have a point.

The people who only take cabin baggage generally have small suitcases that are the maximum permitted size and the passenger takes a while to put the luggage away. If a flight is behind schedule, this adds a further delay and costs the airline more, which then means they put up their prices.

However, this isn't the best solution for the passenger. Instead they should reduce the maximum size of cabin baggage and then allow small items of luggage to be checked in to the hold for free, with only larger items of luggage incurring a cost.

epm-84 · 11 July 2012 at 7:46PM

NFH wrote: »

We need a general regulation that advertised fares (throughout the booking process) must include all optional extras that the majority of passengers need. The only way to deal with this malpractice by airlines is to introduce a law worded in an open-ended way that makes it impossible for them to exclude unavoidable or nearly-unavoidable charges from advertised fares.

Completely agree.

If a flight was advertised as £60 and they then offered a £10 discount for no hold luggage and a £10 discount for checking in online it would seem a lot more transparent.

In a supermarket if it's buy one get another half price you don't see price labels saying 75p then underneath in small print "75p each when you buy two, otherwise £1 each." But that's similar to how some airlines operate.

Hobsons_Choice · 11 July 2012 at 8:38PM

I travelled with Wizz Air a few years ago - the size of cabin luggage some people took on board was unbelievable.....some about the same size as normal hold luggage! That was taking the pee (well it was Wizz Air I s'pose) :rotfl:

Louisdf · 11 July 2012 at 9:41PM

It seems silly charging £10 for a hand luggage case when for £5 extra they let you put a 32kg bag into the hold.

Ectophile · 11 July 2012 at 9:45PM

So how long will it be before they start to charge extra if the passengers want to board the plane?

£10 for a ticket, but an extra surcharge of £40 if you actually want to get on the plane!:D

Jew · 11 July 2012 at 9:58PM

A collection of funny quotes about this:

What's next? Charge on wearing heavy jacket, large shoes, hat?

So how long will it be before they start to charge extra if the passengers want to board the plane?

MSE News: Budget airline Wizz Air to charge for hand luggage

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