An airline passenger flying with easyJet successfully challenged a fine for an oversized bag. Louise Machin was surprised when she received a €58 (£51) penalty upon returning from Crete, despite carefully checking her bag’s size beforehand. After proving the bag met the airline’s requirements, easyJet refunded the fee.
Ms. Machin’s experience is not unique, as many travelers are wrongly fined for oversized cabin bags due to issues with airport bag sizers. While passengers are accustomed to verifying bag dimensions, discrepancies in sizers can lead to unexpected fines.
During a trip to Crete, Ms. Machin, a freelance film and TV professional, faced a fine for her supposedly oversized bag. Despite her bag fitting the sizer at London Gatwick, she was charged at Chania Airport. After contacting the bag manufacturer, it was confirmed that her bag complied with easyJet’s rules.
Cabin Max, the bag manufacturer, has encountered similar cases of customers being fined by airlines due to sizer inaccuracies. Armed with confirmation from Cabin Max, Ms. Machin secured a refund from easyJet.
Reports suggest that other airlines also wrongly fine passengers for minor bag size deviations. Which? recommends appealing fines if travelers believe their bags meet requirements. Although easyJet found no faults with the Chania Airport sizers, they refunded Ms. Machin and apologized for the inconvenience.