How to beat easyJet’s new hand luggage charges

Easyjet's hand luggage rules are designed to bump up the price you pay for your flight above the headline grabbing initial fare. Savvy travellers can still avoid paying extra fees though - read on to find out more.

What has changed?

•    All passengers are now only permitted to bring a 45x36x20cm bag on board with them without incurring additional charges.

•    Those who wish to bring a larger cabin bag on board with them (up to 56x45x20cm) must now pay additional charges.

•    Passengers can either buy the larger cabin bag allowance by itself or as part of a bundle that also includes specific seats and priority boarding.

Buying the larger cabin bag allowance by itself costs £5.99 to £32.99 per flight. Passengers who pay for easyJet’s Up Front and Extra Legroom bundles (£7.99-£39.99 per flight) can also take a large cabin bag on board as part of those respective packages.

•    Those who have not paid for the larger cabin bag allowance and show up to the airport with a bag that is bigger than 45x36x20cm will be charged £48 for the bag to be placed in the aircraft hold.

How much will the extra charges cost?

EasyJet states that the extra fees vary by flight, but it is safe to say that finding a flight where the additional charges are at the lower end of their price spectrum is difficult. We’ve researched a range of domestic and international flights and found the charges to generally range from £22 upwards per flight.

For example, on return flights from London Gatwick to Berlin, easyJet asked £24.99 per flight to take a larger cabin bag on board. A passenger with a traditionally sized cabin bag could expect to pay at least £49.98 in extra fees over a round trip in order to take this bag on board.

On a 45 minute flight from Liverpool to Belfast, easyJet asked £14.99 per flight to take a larger cabin bag on board, ensuring a traveller with traditionally sized hand luggage would need to pay almost £30 extra over a return trip.

Often these extra charges outweigh the cost of the initial flight itself, but they can be avoided entirely if you choose the right bag.

How to avoid these extra charges

Cabin Max has several hand luggage bags that are perfectly sized to comply with easyJet’s new 45x36x20cm ‘free’ hand luggage allowance and ensure you can avoid these excessive extra fees. These bags are designed to offer you the maximum amount of space without being subject to easyJet’s extra fees. They fit easyJet’s luggage sizers like a glove and stow away safely underneath the seat in front of you when you’re on the flight.

Worried that you won't be able to pack enough? Check out our packing packing videos and you'll see that our 30L bags may be all you ever need: