EasyJet passengers are divided over a new method of checking hand luggage dimensions at the boarding gate.
A passenger flying from London Gatwick claimed their cabin bag ‘fits perfectly’ in the airline’s standard-sized carry-on.
But when they arrived at the gate, staff ‘suddenly switched’ to a handheld meter, which ‘almost guarantees’ the bags won’t slip through.
“It honestly felt like the passengers were setting themselves up to fail,” the passenger wrote anonymously in a post on Facebook.
“Especially as this sizer only appeared at the gate as the (EasyJet) screen sizes everywhere in the airport fit nicely.”
The passenger accused ground staff of not being interested in helping passengers comply with size rules and said they were only interested in payment.
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“We were a group and had bags with a lot of spare space overall, some of us also had large cabin/priority. We clearly suggested to just rearrange the items between bags to agree if they are so insistent, which should be the obvious first step, but the staff ignored this and continued to insist on additional charges,” they wrote.
It is not known when the incident happened.
However, an easyJet spokesman said subway that the hand sizes were part of a trial limited to ‘a small number of flights at Gatwick’ and that the dimensions were the same as the standard size.
The airline told us: “This was a trial limited to a small number of flights from London Gatwick and there are no plans to roll it out across our network.
“Ground crew check bags to ensure they fit safely on board and in fairness to customers who have paid to bring extra bags.
“Only if a bag is outside a customer’s reserved allowance will it be charged and we remind customers of their baggage allowance, including dimensions, before they travel.”
EasyJet allows all passengers to bring one small cabin bag for free, with a maximum size of 45 x 36 x 20 cm, including handles and wheels.
The bag must be placed under the seat in front of you and weigh no more than 15 kg.
If your carry-on exceeds your reserved allowance at the boarding gate, you will be charged a fee to place it at the stand.
This charge is generally £48 per bag, although it may vary depending on the route.
Should people be charged for bringing excess hand luggage on the plane?
In July 2025, a leaked email revealed that airport staff are earning cash bonuses for every easyJet passenger they spot traveling with a large bag.
Staff at Swissport, an aviation company that operates passenger gates at airports, ‘are entitled to receive £1.20 (£1 after tax) for each gate bag received’, according to the message sent to staff at seven. airports in the UK and Channel Islands, incl BirminghamGlasgow, Jersey AND Newcastle.
The payments are to ‘reward agents who do the right thing’, according to the email explaining the ‘easyJet gate bag revenue incentives’ scheme.
It also emerged that ground handlers employed by another aviation firm, DHL Supply Chain, in Gatwick, Bristol AND Manchester airports are also charged extra for identifying non-compliant easyJet bags.
Swissport ground handlers earn around £12 an hour. A former passenger service manager, speaking on condition of anonymity, said they had no choice but to check the line on large bags.
And while some criticized easyJet for their strict baggage rules, many saw things from the airline’s point of view.
“It annoys me when people try to take hand luggage that is bigger than allowed. You are given the measurements before you travel, it’s not that hard,” one person wrote.
Another said: ‘Stop packing too much in your flight bag. Just pay to put it on hold.’
Others pointed out that when a passenger brings too much carry-on luggage, it causes trouble for everyone else.
“Passengers with loads of carry-on luggage drive me crazy!” wrote a woman.
“It takes them an age to put their bags on top and often it’s not over their seat so it blocks boarding. I’m all for it (new policy), don’t bring massive bags anyway.’
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