Easyjet sticks to one bag limit

easyJet is to maintain a policy of allowing only a single piece of hand baggage on flights despite the government relaxing restrictions from Monday (January 7). 

The limits are to be lifted at 22 UK airports but will leave a further 40 with the single bag rule still in place, according to the budget carrier. These include EasyJet bases at Belfast, Bristol, East Midlands, Liverpool and Luton.  

Additionally, some BAA airports, notably Gatwick, have applied to the CAA for a price increase, the airline said. 

EasyJet operates from 14 UK airports, only seven of which have had the restrictions lifted (Aberdeen, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, Newcastle and Stansted). Gatwick has applied for the restriction to be lifted. 

The airline's chief executive Andy Harrison said: "There is massive scope for customer confusion in an environment where UK airports are adopting different policies. 

"The only way to maintain a simple and standard policy is to maintain our one bag policy. 

"Also some of the major BAA airports are using the relaxation of the one bag rule as a pretext to further increase passenger charges. 

"They increased charges when the restriction was introduced and now they want to increase charges again to remove it. EasyJet will continue to resist such attempts and calls on the CAA for its full support" 

4 January 2008