Easyjet, one of Europe’s biggest budget carriers, is offering to make your airport experience ‘Hands Free’—for a fee. Or maybe, they’re just getting ready to charge you for your carry-ons.
Since airlines started charging baggage fees, more and more passengers have been opting for carry-ons, so many that the new big problem is running out of space in the overheads. When that happens, airlines usually stow the overflow in the hold.
Under ‘hands-free,’ Easyjet’s passengers will pay £4 at check-in, and get a ‘priority tag’ for their carry-ons, supposedly making them “among the first” on the conveyor in baggage claim. The agent will give passengers a small plastic bag for valuables and essentials. And you can still have your purse or underseat-sized bag with you.
So, is it airport freedom, or a way to cash in on the overcrowded overheads? Easyjet says it’s seen “a fantastic response” during a test in France and is now extending it to all its airports except Gatwick. On the other hand, the announcement comes from the “ancillary revenue director.” You decide.
