Easyjet lowers baggage allowance

I've never flown Easyjet, but it would be nice if baggage was restricted on all flights. I prefer easy on and easy off to waiting for everyone to get their luggage together.

I prefer the convenience of not having to wait at baggage claim. I bought an underneath the seat compliant backpack for my trip to Europe in September of this year. I managed to fit all my fly fishing gear in it (except the rod). Best $20 I've spent in years. That and a RS Backdoor bag and I had plenty of room for 2 weeks. Even crammed a 4 x 6 carpet in the Backdoor bag for the trip home (I checked it).

Fortunately, it doesn't look like EasyJet flies anywhere I want to go (the only time I fly intra-Europe is when the flight is combined with my flight home, ie, Munich-Frankfurt-Denver or Munich-Düsseldorf-Chicago, all on Lufthansa).

But it probably wouldn't affect me. Last summer (2018), I was flying to Maine for two plus weeks to meet my partner, and she had requested I bring along a few things she had left behind. They all fit in my "personal item", a Goodhope Travelwell bag. I took my own things in an eTech Weekender Jr. At the airport, I checked the Travelwell bag in the personal item sizer, and it fit. I also checked my not-completely-filled eTech bag, in the sizer, and it also fit. American Airlines personal item allowance is 45 x 35 x 20 cm, just smaller than the EasyJet limit.

However, I see the EasyJet change in limits as just a thinly disguised ruse to extract more money from their customers. This puts a bad taste in my mouth v-v EasyJet, and makes me unlikely to ever fly them.

I agree with James, "I prefer the convenience of not having to wait at baggage claim". On two occasions, I arrived in Denver jetlagged from the trip from Europe, went straight to the bus stop, and just barely caught the next bus to town. Had I had to wait for my luggage, I would have had to catch an hour later bus.

However, I see the EasyJet change in limits as just a thinly disguised ruse to extract more money from their customers

There is no 'disguise'. Its a straight up cash grab.

If the intent were to improve boarding /egress efficiency, there would be no 'buying up' to a bigger carry-on allowance.

If the intent were to improve boarding /egress efficiency, there would
be no 'buying up' to a bigger carry-on allowance

.

Look at it this way. You can have a super cheap seat, but without carryon because those with carryon are subsidizing you.

Do you know the value of something? The value is what someone is willing to pay. As long as the fill the seats, the seats are either well priced, or maybe a tad under priced. If someone doesn't like it they can fly one of the major airlines .... for even higher rates.

I'm happy with it, the more people who check their bags the less people there are trying to cram unsuitable baggage into the overhead lockers and inevitably creating delays. Does anyone actually believe that an airline can provide £9.99 flights and not make a loss? As James has said, someone is subsidsing those rock bottom prices so it's about time there was some parity.

This is the size of the underseat bag. It really holds a remarkably lot. https://1drv.ms/u/s!Ai7Zk-szxfTJidJjYaDjGJqXIWVbWQ?e=I7zbB3

Don't believe those 9€ seats unless you show up with nothing but socks and shorts, don't care if you get a seat and don't mind waiting in line forever. Here is an example. BUD to SJJ (and its still a great deal):
.
Basic Ft 7.190 (about $25) and this is what will pop up on most ticket search engines...
Free carry-on bag (40 x 30 x 20 cm) in the cabin, placed under the seat
Online check-in up to 2 days before departure
.
Wizz Go Ft 18.910 (about $65)
Free carry-on bag (40 x 30 x 20 cm) in the cabin, placed under the seat
Trolley Bag (55 x 40 x 23 cm) in the cabin
20 kg checked-in bag
Free seat selection, excluding row 1 to 4 and extra legroom seats.
Priority Boarding
Priority check-in
Online check-in up to 30 days before departure
Free airport and online check-in
.
Flex & Plus Ft 25.495 (about $90)
Free carry-on bag (40 x 30 x 20 cm) in the cabin, placed under the seat
Trolley Bag (55 x 40 x 23 cm) in the cabin
32 kg checked-in bag
Free seat selection, including front row and extra legroom seats
Priority Boarding
Priority check-in
WIZZ Flex
Online check-in up to 30 days before departure
Free airport and online check-in
Flight Information
Refund to WIZZ Account
Auto check-in

I know on airlines like Southwest, the cheap seats do sell out. On Wizz Air I don't believe that is not the case. Rather than a limited number of cheap teaser seats (although that's not really a fair statement for Southwest because the number of cheap seats appears to be very large and I have rarely missed getting one) Wizz Air prices by amenities and services. I have never seen them sell out an amenity catagory. They show the basic cost to grab your interest. When you see the restrictions, you upgrade in most cases; although I have purchased the basic rate on a few occasions when making 2 or 3 night trips out of Budapest.

Its a business. Wizz Air's profit margin was 12.5% in 2019 and that margin and open non-EU borders is helping them survive now. Some quick math says in 2019 the made an average $7 profit per passenger. Given the spread in ticket costs on the same flight I would suspect that the Basic fare is a total loss and they make their money on the mid priced and high priced catagory.

I have used Easyjet numerous times and I am quite happy with their change of policy, they are one of the better Low Cost carriers and if you taking into account baggage fees they still work out very reasonable.Plus they do direct flights from Edinburgh to Prgaue which suits be fine.

Ive done Ryan (didnt impress me) and WizzAir. Wizzair uses Budapest as a hub, so its really convenient and has been well run when I used it. No issues at all. Never used EasyJet but saw their lines in Iceland one year and it didnt look fun. But that may have been airport issues and not EasyJet.

I've often said that in the free market system, the only way you can make money is to deceive the customer - by giving them less than they think they are going to get or by charging them more than they think they are going to pay. This is a perfect example, they un-bundle a cost so that their ticket price looks lower, then get it back with the surcharge. In fact, what they are doing is really bait-n-switch, which has been and should be illegal.

If airlines were required to include the cost of a carryon in the overhead compartment, but would be allowed to give a discount if you only took on a smaller bag, do you really think they would give a discount that was as same as the surcharge, or even give a discount at all.

What's next? Absent any kind of regulation, airlines could show a really low price, for a seat of nails, like a Fakir's bed, and then offer to upgrade to a cushion if you pay a hidden surcharge.

In my case, when I returned from a recent 2-week trip to Europe, the entire contents of my carryon fit in 1400 ci box. My empty carryon bag has some volume, but not 500 ci, so I wouldn't have to pay a surcharge for the size of the bag, but I really don't want it at my feet.

Another "forced honesty" rule. Make airlines apply the same profit margin to "add-ons" that they make on the basic fare. It's called "cost based pricing".

I think you can usually pick a different airline that works with your luggage plan. The airlines I fly have free checked bag, so I can check my carryon. Businesses can charge what they want, but seems to me there are many options. I, personally, do not like to wait to deplane for people to move their excessive luggage around the plane...especially when checking is free. But, that’s just me. YMMV. So many choices... :)

EasyJet have been my default choice of airline. They are prompt, reliable, good value and in the past few years have upgraded their fleet with brand new planes.

It’s a pain, as our camera kit and binoculars (and sometimes telescope) won’t fit in the new baggage allowance and there is no way we are checking this equipment into the hold. We always check a bag. We have an outward flight with them in January and our return flight is after the new requirements kick in. They have already raised the prices of checked baggage by at least £5 per bag per flight.

It’s nothing to do with speedy boarding, but trying to claw back some of the money they have lost since March.

I usually travel off peak and am happy for very early and late flights. I book months ahead. I have never had a flight for £9.99, even during the pandemic.

Wray has it nailed. Thank you sir.

Another "forced honesty" rule. Make airlines apply the same profit
margin to "add-ons" that they make on the basic fare. It's called
"cost based pricing".

Why? Again, the value of a product or service is defined by what people are willing to pay for it. Sure, there are exceptions when it is a public entity like a utility company or a monopoly, but this is neither. It’s entertainment. When you go to sell your home, will you sell it for some State directed “value” or for as much as you can get for it after full disclosure of the condition, etc...?

I've often said that in the free market system, the only way you can
make money is to deceive the customer - by giving them less than they
think they are going to get or by charging them more than they think
they are going to pay. This is a perfect example, they un-bundle a
cost so that their ticket price looks lower, then get it back with the
surcharge. In fact, what they are doing is really bait-n-switch, which
has been and should be illegal.

“Bait and switch” is the practice of advertising something that either does not exist or exists in such low quantity as to be misleading. Airlines do neither.

Deception involves not fully disclosing the cost. Look at the airline websites, all costs are fully disclosed. It is interesting to see that the airline flight costs $10 and the government bureaucracy, use fees, taxes, etc. costs $20. Should that be hidden information? So, being well informed is somehow an affront to the public? To think people can’t read or comprehend and the government has to step in to protect them is a little patronizing to the general public. Have you ever been tricked into paying more for a ticket than you thought it was going to cost at the time you entered your credit card number? If it hasn’t happened to you, do you think it has happened to other? Some how you have to protect all the others?

If airlines were required to include the cost of a carryon in the
overhead compartment, but would be allowed to give a discount if you
only took on a smaller bag, do you really think they would give a
discount that was as same as the surcharge, or even give a discount at
all.

How about the opposite. How about they are required to quote the seat price, then a shopping cart to choose all else from. Hey, that’s what’s happening. As a result more people can afford to fly now than would otherwise be able to fly. But apparently its better that everyone only fly by your luggage standards or not at all?

Would they give the same discount by your method? No idea. Not mine to care about. The airlines are charged by their stockholders (me and everyone else with a 401(k)) to maximize profits by filling all the seats at the highest price possible. They will manipulate the price in such a way that that fills the seats; roughly meaning maximizing the number of people who can afford to fly in a financially stable airline.

Unfortunately the airlines have lost the opportunity for another upgrade. They could have tacked $10 on to a ticket for phone use

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/general-europe/best-news-of-the-day-not-vaccine-related

I have flown Easyjet numerous times. I usually spend the extra few bucks to get a "more legroom" seat. In the past this meant I boarded early and could take a second "personal item" on board. So for me, nothing has really changed.