**Airport Staff Offered Bonuses for Identifying Oversized easyJet Luggage, Leaked Email Reveals**
A recent leak has revealed that airport staff in the UK and the Channel Islands are being incentivised to spot oversized baggage belonging to easyJet passengers, with cash bonuses offered for each non-compliant bag detected at the departure gate. The revelation has sparked discussion among frequent travellers and consumer advocates, who are concerned about the potential for the policy to impact transparency and fairness.
According to information shared by the Guardian and first reported by the Jersey Evening Post, ground handlers employed by major service providers such as Swissport are awarded £1 for every easyJet bag at the gate that is found to exceed the airline’s permitted size limits. The initiative, known internally as the “easyJet gate bag revenue incentive”, reportedly applies at seven airports including Birmingham, Glasgow, Jersey, and Newcastle. The same practice, according to the Sunday Times, is also in place for DHL Supply Chain staff at Gatwick, Bristol, and Manchester airports.
The incentive scheme is part of a broader target-based approach, which aims to ensure airline baggage policies are strictly enforced. An internal email to Swissport staff described the payments as “rewarding agents doing the right thing”, encouraging vigilant enforcement in the face of policies that can lead to additional fees for travellers caught unaware.
One anonymous Swissport employee highlighted the realities of enforcing easyJet’s baggage allowances, describing their experience to the Times as being not unlike confronting fare dodgers. “Confronting people with excess baggage is like taking on fare dodgers. You risk abuse or worse – imagine stopping a group of lads on a stag weekend and telling them I’m going to have to charge you more than you paid for your tickets to check those bags into the hold,” the staff member shared. The policy, circulating since November 2023, reportedly remains unchanged going into mid-2025.
In response to the reports, Swissport reaffirmed that its staff adhere to the policies set by its airline partners, stating: “We serve our airline customers and apply their policies under terms and conditions for managing their operation. We’re highly professional and our focus is on delivering safe and efficient operations, which we do day in and day out for four million flights per year.” This points to a wider industry standard in which third-party ground handlers are expected to carry out airline-specific policies as part of routine daily operations.
EasyJet, one of Europe’s largest budget airlines, responded by emphasising the importance of consistency. “EasyJet is focused on ensuring our ground handling partners apply our policies correctly and consistently in fairness to all our customers. Our bag policies and options are well understood and we remind customers of this when booking, before they travel, and on their boarding pass, which means a very small proportion of customers who don’t comply will be charged at the airport,” a spokesperson said.
For many passengers, however, the rules surrounding baggage sizes and allowances remain a source of confusion and frustration, often resulting in unexpected costs while travelling. Alvaro Iturmendi, a travel insurance expert at Confused.com, commented on the stress added by such policies: “Holidays are an exciting time, but there’s no doubt that the added costs can cause significant stress for travellers. With news that airport staff might be more vigilant than ever, holiday goers should be checking the rules for their chosen airline carefully before heading to the airport.”
Consumer research conducted by Confused.com has found that nearly a third of holidaymakers have been charged for overweight or oversized baggage, with the average additional cost nearing £55. This highlights a broader challenge faced by passengers, who must navigate a complex web of allowances and fees that vary not just between airlines but sometimes even between flights on the same carrier.
Iturmendi advises passengers to take proactive steps, such as reviewing baggage policy details included on tickets and contacting airlines directly to confirm their allowances. Digital tools, like airline baggage checkers, are also available to simplify this process, allowing travellers to avoid unnecessary costs and enjoy a smoother experience at the airport.
The wider discussion surrounding transparency and fairness in baggage policies is likely to continue, as passengers, airlines, and third-party contractors seek a balance between operational efficiency and positive customer experiences across Europe’s busy air travel hubs.