For filmmaker Benjamin Till, his return flight from Italy turned into a legal nightmare. He was frustrated with the complicated and arbitrary baggage policies. He had a problem with EasyJet’s carry-on baggage policies. That after a really fast-moving and uncomfortable situation put him in a position where he had to pay an expensive premium to check his bag.
Till, who had expected his bag to fit within EasyJet’s free underseat dimensions, discovered that the airline’s measurements included the wheels of his bag. This failure led to his baggage being a little bit too large, even though Till had followed the rules in his mind. The airline made him pay £48 to take the bag on the flight – and he was indignant and humiliated enough to contact me about it.
“I don’t mind admitting that I actually burst into tears because it was so humiliating,” Till shared regarding the experience. He pointed out that confusion over baggage rules is rampant. Millions of travelers are confused and overwhelmed by the complexities of airline policies.
Till’s ordeal sheds light on a broader issue that many passengers face: the inconsistency of carry-on baggage regulations across different airlines. He noted that he had only four wheels on the ground beside a checked bag and a huge black bin bag of clothes. This is a prime example of the difficulties travelers must go through just to try and appease conflicting standards.
In expressing his opinion on the matter, Till stated, “It’s just really, really unfair and ridiculous and there should be one size that goes across all of the airlines.” He supports a universal standard for underseat bags to make things easier on all travelers with the goal of simple clarity.
Another traveler, fellow Torontonian Jane Hawkes, echoes this attitude. She said airlines should be able to come to a voluntary consensus on baggage requirements and it would help the industry if they did so. “I don’t really see why it can’t be, and why they can’t come to a voluntary agreement as to what those requirements should be for your baggage,” Hawkes expressed.
As if the problem isn’t six different shades of awful already, enter airlines that have conflicting opinions on carry-on baggage. That’s the reasoning Ryanair has used to complain about the effects of including more carry-on bags in the base fare. They worry that this would affect passenger choice and eventually increase fares for all travelers. Airlines For Europe says enter the age of customization. They claim that giving passengers the power to select services customized to their individual needs is essential for increasing customer satisfaction.
Till had a bittersweet experience. Unsurprisingly, he ran into trouble with the baggage restrictions, but that didn’t detract from the fact that he was thankful for such inexpensive airfare and lodging while living in Italy. He is passionate about establishing clearer and more consistent guidelines on carry-on luggage for all airlines.