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Three of the UK’s most popular airlines have cut the size of their free cabin baggage allowance by half since 2018.

An investigation by Rip Off Britain found that Ryanair, easyJet and Wizz Air have all reduced the size of hand luggage that’s included within the cost of a flight ticket.

Ryanair’s hand luggage has shrunk the most – with the maximum volume of a bag cut by 55% from 55 x 40 x 20cm in 2018 to a current allowance of 40 x 20 x 25cm. That’s the smallest free cabin bag size of all the airlines checked.

easyJet used to allow passengers 56 x 45 x 25cm in free hand luggage, but the permitted size is now 45 x 36 x 20cm – which for a budget airline is still one of the largest.

And Wizz Air previously allowed a bag measuring 55 x 40 x 23cm as part of the cost of your flight, which has since been reduced to 40 x 30 x 20cm.

To take a bigger bag such as a small pull-along in the cabin, passengers on these airlines must either book a more expensive ticket or pay for a luggage add-on.

Wizz Air has a pricier priority ticket, easyJet charges £6 if you book ahead or up to £40 if you wait until the airport, and Ryanair offer bigger baggage either on a priority ticket or by charging passengers up to £36 at the airport.

As for the other airlines Rip Off Britain checked, TUI, Jet2 and British Airways all still allow the same size baggage now as part of the cost of a flight ticket as they did in 2018.

Rip Off Britain has heard from several passengers who’ve been caught out at the airport by the size of their hand luggage, including Lucy and Graham Corgan who went on their honeymoon to Crete in September 2022.

Despite checking their bags fit comfortably inside easyJet’s measuring frame at Luton airport, and having no issues on the outbound journey, Lucy was stopped when trying to board their homeward flight in Heraklion because of her luggage.

“I turned around to hear Lucy being told that she's in possession of a bag that is far too big for the overhead baggage, it was hold baggage and as such she would be charged to bring the cabin bag onto the flight,” said Graham.

Their flight tickets permitted them one small cabin bag each, but Lucy was wrongly charged €29 to be allowed to bring hers on board – the fee for a large cabin bag.

The couple reluctantly agreed to pay the extra charge and took up their complaint with easyJet once they got home.

“I was very angry. It’s not a lot of money but it’s the principle,” said Graham.

easyJet initially assured Lucy and Graham that its staff were well trained to deal with the issue, but later refunded the €29.

Travel expert Rob Staines believes luggage size allowance should be standardised across the industry, so that passengers only need to buy one bag which would be suitable with any airline.

“It’s really easy to get confused by the sizes of cabin luggage you can bring on board a flight. Not only have you got to get the measurements right, the rules can vary depending on whether you pay extra for your cabin bag, or simply go with what’s included in your ticket,” he said.

His advice is to check luggage dimensions at home with a tape measure – not forgetting to include the wheels – pointing out that it’s the passenger’s responsibility to ensure bags are the right size.

A spokesperson for easyJet said: “We are sorry that Ms Corgan was incorrectly charged for her bag at Heraklion airport due to an isolated misunderstanding of the policy by the ground handling agent. Having received their feedback we apologised for the mistake at the airport and provided a full refund of the charge.

“Our ground handling partners are trained on all relevant easyJet policies and provided regular guidance and we have looked into this with our partner at Heraklion airport to ensure our baggage policy is clear for all ground handling colleagues.”

When asked about the reduction in baggage allowance with a standard flight ticket, they said: “easyJet offers some of the most generous bag size and weight limits in the industry. All customers can bring a small under seat bag into the cabin for free and like most European short haul airlines we also offer the option to bring a large cabin bag onboard, which is included when booking an Extra Legroom or Upfront seat or can be booked as a standalone option. By providing these options it means our customers only have to pay for what they need and no more.”

A Wizz Air spokesperson said:“Wizz Air updated its baggage policy at the end of 2018 to ensure a smooth boarding process for passengers and to minimise hand luggage related delays. Wizz Air is committed to providing customers with the lowest fares possible whilst giving passengers the flexibility to customise their booking by adding only the services they wish to pay for. Every basic fare ticket entitles passengers to one piece of free hand luggage that must fit under the seat (measuring a maximum of 40 x 30 x 20 cm). For those passengers who need more hand luggage allowance, it is possible to purchase WIZZ priority which includes an onboard trolley bag (measuring up to 55 x 40 x 23 cm). Passengers who bring additional bags onboard will be charged at the gate as per Wizz Air’s policy, with luggage put in the hold if there is not available space onboard.”

Ryanair declined to comment.

Watch Rip Off Britain’s report on 11th August at 7pm, 大象传媒 One, or on 大象传媒 iPlayer