MANILA, Feb 20 — At a time when more and more airlines are slapping on baggage fees and eliminating allowances, low-budget carrier easyJet has announced plans to relax its baggage rules for preferred flyers.
As of March 19, holders of an easyJet plus card and those who have purchased a Flexifare or paid extra for upfront or extra legroom seats will be allowed to bring an extra handbag or laptop into the cabins.
That’s in addition to a standard cabin bag that must be able to fit in the overhead locker.
easyJet is the UK’s largest carrier by the number of passengers carried.
It’s a move that runs counter to the widespread industry trend of airlines slapping added baggage fees onto the cost of plane tickets — a move that aims to discourage flyers from overpacking, thereby reducing aircraft weight.
And rake in extra revenue.
But easyJet is also following the lead of rival Ryanair, which has been going after an unlikely but emerging market for the no-frills airlines: business travellers.
The carrier’s Ryanair Business Plus programme offers business flyers more services including priority boarding, premium seats and greater baggage allowance.
Last year, the company estimated that more than 25 per cent of their passengers were traveling for business. — AFP
