EasyJet Launches ‘Hands-Free’ Luggage

Budget airline, EasyJet, has announced that after a successful trial in France, they are launching a ‘hands-free’ hand baggage option across their operation. This will be available at all bases with desks. The fee for this is £4 per person or there is a group price of £10 for up to six items.

The service offers travellers the chance to travel through the airport without having to keep their hand luggage with them at all times. All checked hand luggage will also be tagged as priority baggage, ensuring that it can be collected promptly at baggage collection in the destination airport.

The trial in France saw 9,000 passengers take up the option in just four weeks, signalling that it is likely to be a popular choice moving forward. Particularly with those travelling for short-term city breaks, who might have quite a lot of hand baggage and no suitcase to check. For these travellers, who make up a large section of EasyJet’s target market, there is simply no need to carry their baggage onto the aircraft.

Andrew Middleton, ancillary revenue director at EasyJet, said: “We’ve seen a fantastic response from customers upgrading to the ‘hands-free’ experience and we’re confident once you go ‘hands-free’ you’ll never want to drag cabin baggage through the airport again.”

It is unlikely that long and medium-haul flight operators will start to offer a similar service, as passengers are more likely to pack hand baggage carrying in-flight comforts. However, this offering may not only create an additional ancillary income stream for EasyJet, it may also help it to win business from low-cost rivals, with customers seeking out this premium airport experience.

A further benefit could be faster turnaround times for the aircraft and improved punctuality, given a lot of time is spent stuffing hand luggage into small overhead bins on budget trips, before an aircraft can depart. Less hand baggage in the cabin will also no doubt lead to increased passenger comfort, and less frustrations, with less waiting for fellow passengers to drag, stow and then remove their luggage around them.