An easyJet traveler shared her experience of challenging a fine imposed by the airline for her oversized bag. Louise Machin expressed surprise and confusion when she was charged €58 (£51) upon returning from Chania Airport in Crete, despite her careful pre-checking of the bag’s size. After reaching out to the bag manufacturer, easyJet refunded the fee, acknowledging that her bag met the airline’s requirements.
Ms. Machin, a 59-year-old resident of Crystal Palace, London, is not the only one facing unjust fines for oversized cabin bags. According to consumer group Which?, travelers are often penalized due to discrepancies with official bag sizers at certain airports. Passengers flying with budget airlines are accustomed to verifying bag dimensions and encountering reminders at check-in desks or boarding gates.
During a trip to Crete in April, Ms. Machin, who works in film and TV sales, was caught off guard by the fine. Despite her bag fitting the sizer at London Gatwick on departure, she faced opposition from ground staff at Chania Airport on her return. Despite her bag complying with easyJet’s sizing tool, she was forced to pay the fine to board her flight home.
Upon confirmation from the bag manufacturer, Cabin Max, that her bag was within regulations, Ms. Machin successfully reclaimed her refund from easyJet. This incident is not the first time Cabin Max has been contacted regarding airline fines, with issues often stemming from faulty bag sizers rejecting compliant luggage.
Which? highlights similar cases of passengers being wrongly fined for minor bag discrepancies. Airlines like Ryanair have even incentivized staff to enforce bag size restrictions rigorously. The advice for passengers wrongly fined is to appeal if they are confident about their bag’s compliance.
Despite easyJet’s assurance of sizer integrity at Chania Airport, the airline refunded Ms. Machin’s fine and apologized for the inconvenience. They emphasized their standardized sizer dimensions across all airports and commitment to addressing customer feedback on a case-by-case basis.