Airlines have launched a lobbying blitz in Brussels to combat efforts to allow larger cabin bags to fly for free.

That frisson of fear felt by many air passengers at the boarding gate about being hit with an extra charge for a carry-on bag is generating a political dogfight.

Spain had enough of the extra fees and fined five airlines for charging people for hand luggage; now the battle over the freedom to stuff a porkier bag into the overhead bin is being joined in other countries.

Consumer organizations from 12 European countries on Wednesday joined Spain’s legal battle against low-cost airlines charging passengers to bring larger carry-on suitcases on board.

  • @wewbull@feddit.uk
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    92 days ago

    Counter:

    1. Carry-ons can be objectively better for passengers.

    That’s not a counter. If carry one have more value to the consumer, that’s what you charge for.

    1. Carry-ons are cheaper for airlines.

    Not when they’re running out of space and putting things in the hold anyway. Also I doubt they like always flying with a 90% empty hold. If no hold baggage was guaranteed then the plane could carry cargo and make money that way. Or have a smaller more fuel efficient plane.

    • @futatorius@lemm.ee
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      11 day ago

      that’s what you charge for

      Because bleeding a captive clientele dry is perfectly normal and acceptable business practice?

    • @DolphinMath@slrpnk.net
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      82 days ago

      To add to this, carry-ons dramatically slow the boarding process, which adds to the overall cost of the flight. Charging for carry-ons makes it easier for flights to be consistently on-time, which is why airlines prefer to have fewer of them

      Turning an airplane around is not a quick process, and anything that can be done to speed that it up saves the airline time and money.

      • @futatorius@lemm.ee
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        11 day ago

        carry-ons dramatically slow the boarding process

        I will never allow valuable items and essential medications to be entrusted to the unreliable checked-baggage system.

    • @taladar@sh.itjust.works
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      12 days ago

      Also I doubt they like always flying with a 90% empty hold.

      Sure they would if they knew it in advance. They could sell that as cargo space.