
easyJet exposed 'paying £1 bonus to airport staff who catch out passengers with oversized baggage'
The email, sent to employees of Swissport, which runs passenger gates in several airports in Britain, confirmed that staff would receive £1.20 (£1 after tax) for every 'gate bag' deemed too large to take onboard without paying extra.
This controversial 'easyJet gate bag revenue incentive' is still active, rewarding gate agents for enforcing baggage rules at airports including Belfast, Birmingham, Glasgow, Jersey, Liverpool, and Newcastle.
The scheme aims to 'reward agents doing the right thing' with direct payments to employees, according to the internal message signed by Dean Martin, a Swissport station manager at Glasgow Airport, seen by the Sunday Times.
Similar bonus arrangements also exist at other airports, with DHL Supply Chain staff at Gatwick, Bristol, and Manchester receiving a 'nominal amount' per oversized bag spotted.
Passengers are allowed one small bag free with easyJet, but larger bags must be paid for, with fees starting at £5.99 and soaring to nearly £33 on some routes.
At the gate, if caught with an unpaid oversized bag, travellers face a £48 charge, of which £1.20 goes directly into the pockets of airport staff.
Many passengers have complained about aggressive enforcement and inconsistent sizing, sometimes being forced to pay despite bags fitting official size frames.
Ground staff are employed by third-party handling companies, which vary between airports.
These companies manage staff pay and incentive schemes independently, and easyJet is not involved in or responsible for how bonuses are issued.
A Swissport spokesperson emphasised that the company follows airline policies under agreed terms, focusing on professionalism and delivering safe, efficient operations across millions of flights each year.
An easyJet spokeswoman said: '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.'
Swissport was approached for comment.
It comes as Ryanair has announced plans to boost the size of its free 'personal bag' allowance.
The budget airline currently lets passengers bring a small bag measuring 40x20x25cm for free, but that's about to change.
Ryanair will soon let holidaymakers carry bags up to 40x30x20cm, a 20% increase, following new EU rules that set a minimum free baggage size of 40x30x15cm.
The bigger allowance kicks in within weeks once Ryanair updates its bag sizers.
In the TikTok shared by him, it shows his holdall clearly fitting into the measuring space
Make the most of the space you have!
A packing expert has revealed ten clever suitcase hacks to help travellers save space and stay organised.
Chantel Ibbotson, a popular TikToker shared tips on how to make the most of the space in the suitcase.
They are:
Fold clothes and scarves vertically to maximise space.
Add essential oil to cotton balls in a bag to keep clothes smelling fresh.
Wrap belts around the suitcase edge to save room.
Use the lining to separate slippers and sliders.
Squeeze air out of toiletries to prevent leaks.
Cover toiletry lids with silicone pads to stop spills.
Thread necklaces through straws to avoid tangling.
Attach earrings to buttons to keep them together.
Stuff socks and chargers inside shoes to use up space.
Place an AirTag in your suitcase in case it goes missing.
Bags still must weigh under 10kg and fit under the seat.
But even with the upgrade, Ryanair's free bag is smaller than easyJet's current generous allowance of 45x36x20cm.
The EU is cracking down to make luggage rules simpler for passengers across all airlines.
It follows a man who slammed easyJet after being hit with a £48 fine for his bag being too large - despite the fact it fitted perfectly into the airline's baggage size checker.
Jake Hughes was attempting to board his flight at Manchester Airport on Wednesday but clashed with a member of staff who insisted his hand luggage was too big.
Despite demonstrating to staff that this wasn't the case, Jake claims the budget airline threatened to 'terminate' his boarding pass if he didn't cough up the money and made him delete all the footage he had taken.
Video filmed by Jake shows the bag - a small grey holdall - inside one of the metal frames used by easyJet to measure cabin bag size, fitting neatly into the space.
Jake points at it and says: 'This bag fits perfectly in here. easyJet flight.'
The staff member, who appears to work for an external handling company on behalf of the airline, asks him to remove it.
He initially reaches for it but decides to leave it in and asks to speak to somebody more senior.
He says: 'No, I'm actually going to leave it in there. I need a manager to see this. Someone higher up than you to see this.'
A queue of passengers can be seen waiting with their bags to his side.
He gestures to the size frame on the other side, but the staff member claims it is only for passengers entitled to 'speedy boarding'.
Jake repeats: 'So this is my bag, I need a manager here.'

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Daily Record
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Vladimir Putin's war machine 'given £127m in taxes from Glasgow firm shipping Russian gas'
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That would be enough to cover the cost of 2700 Iranian Shahed drones or 45 Iskander-M type missiles which Russia's war machine has repeatedly used to terrorise and massacre Ukrainian civilians. Svitlana Romanko, executive director of Razom We Stand, said: 'It is outrageous that a UK-registered company like Seapeak has played such a central role in financing Putin's war machine, helping generate over £127million in taxes for the Russian state last year alone. 'That money is enough to pay for a couple thousand drones or dozens of Iskander missiles – weapons Russians use to kill civilians in Ukraine on a daily basis. 'While Ukrainian families are picking up the pieces under the rubble of Russian missile strikes, a British company is quietly still profiting from Russia's fossil fuels. "British firms must not be allowed to profit from bloodstained gas – this research proves Seapeak's deep entanglement in Russia's war economy.' Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 with the LNG trade crucial in bringing billions into the Kremlin to pay for Putin's 'special military operation' which has killed thousands of people. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Seapeak Maritime, based on Elliot Street in Glasgow, near the Clyde, operates tankers such as the Yakov Gakkel, which exports Russian gas from Yamal in Siberia – estimated to hold a quarter of the world's gas reserves – to Europe. We previously told how US-based billionaire investor Michael Dorrell is behind Seapeak. The Australian took overall control it in 2023 following it's acquisition by Stonepeak, the £100billion infrastructure investment giant he is founder and CEO of. Its tankers are part of Russia's 'shadow fleet' of an estimated 600 vessels shipping oil and gas around the world while evading western sanctions. Seapeak's work is technically legal but critics want the UK Government to close what it says is a sanctions loophole. Scottish Greens MSP Ross Greer – who was sanctioned by Russia for his work in solidarity with Ukraine – said: 'It's appalling that the UK Labour government refuses to shut Seapeak down. People in Glasgow are horrified when they learn a firm based here plays such a key role in keeping Russia's war economy going." Peter Cooper, secretary of the Ukraine Solidarity Campaign in Scotland, said: ' Glasgow-based company Seapeak's shipping of £3billion worth of Russian LNG, at an annual £45m profit for its US owners, is being paid for by the death and injury of thousands of Ukrainian civilians." Activists will hold a peaceful protest outside Seapeak's Clydeside offices this week, joined by campaigners in London and Vancouver, Canada, where the firm's global HQ is based. We previously told of claims Russia had planted FSB spies on Seapeak's super tankers, with Putin's operatives allegedly using intimidation to remove western crew. Last year, we also revealed how Russian 'spy ships' with armed masked men were operating in the North Sea near the Scottish coast amid claims of attempted sabotage the UK's network of underwater internet cables. Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 and the UK responded in the same year by banning all ships with any Russian connection from entering UK ports. However, UK firms are not banned from transporting Russian gas to other countries. A spokeswoman for the Foreign Office said: 'Wecontinue to explore all options for constraining Russian revenue further, including by targeting Russian LNG production and trade.'


Daily Mail
9 hours ago
- Daily Mail
easyJet exposed 'paying £1 bonus to airport staff who catch out passengers with oversized baggage'
Airport staff are cashing in on bonuses for catching easyJet passengers with oversized bags, a leaked email has revealed. The email, sent to employees of Swissport, which runs passenger gates in several airports in Britain, confirmed that staff would receive £1.20 (£1 after tax) for every 'gate bag' deemed too large to take onboard without paying extra. This controversial 'easyJet gate bag revenue incentive' is still active, rewarding gate agents for enforcing baggage rules at airports including Belfast, Birmingham, Glasgow, Jersey, Liverpool, and Newcastle. The scheme aims to 'reward agents doing the right thing' with direct payments to employees, according to the internal message signed by Dean Martin, a Swissport station manager at Glasgow Airport, seen by the Sunday Times. Similar bonus arrangements also exist at other airports, with DHL Supply Chain staff at Gatwick, Bristol, and Manchester receiving a 'nominal amount' per oversized bag spotted. Passengers are allowed one small bag free with easyJet, but larger bags must be paid for, with fees starting at £5.99 and soaring to nearly £33 on some routes. At the gate, if caught with an unpaid oversized bag, travellers face a £48 charge, of which £1.20 goes directly into the pockets of airport staff. Many passengers have complained about aggressive enforcement and inconsistent sizing, sometimes being forced to pay despite bags fitting official size frames. Ground staff are employed by third-party handling companies, which vary between airports. These companies manage staff pay and incentive schemes independently, and easyJet is not involved in or responsible for how bonuses are issued. A Swissport spokesperson emphasised that the company follows airline policies under agreed terms, focusing on professionalism and delivering safe, efficient operations across millions of flights each year. An easyJet spokeswoman said: '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.' Swissport was approached for comment. It comes as Ryanair has announced plans to boost the size of its free 'personal bag' allowance. The budget airline currently lets passengers bring a small bag measuring 40x20x25cm for free, but that's about to change. Ryanair will soon let holidaymakers carry bags up to 40x30x20cm, a 20% increase, following new EU rules that set a minimum free baggage size of 40x30x15cm. The bigger allowance kicks in within weeks once Ryanair updates its bag sizers. In the TikTok shared by him, it shows his holdall clearly fitting into the measuring space Make the most of the space you have! A packing expert has revealed ten clever suitcase hacks to help travellers save space and stay organised. Chantel Ibbotson, a popular TikToker shared tips on how to make the most of the space in the suitcase. They are: Fold clothes and scarves vertically to maximise space. Add essential oil to cotton balls in a bag to keep clothes smelling fresh. Wrap belts around the suitcase edge to save room. Use the lining to separate slippers and sliders. Squeeze air out of toiletries to prevent leaks. Cover toiletry lids with silicone pads to stop spills. Thread necklaces through straws to avoid tangling. Attach earrings to buttons to keep them together. Stuff socks and chargers inside shoes to use up space. Place an AirTag in your suitcase in case it goes missing. Bags still must weigh under 10kg and fit under the seat. But even with the upgrade, Ryanair's free bag is smaller than easyJet's current generous allowance of 45x36x20cm. The EU is cracking down to make luggage rules simpler for passengers across all airlines. It follows a man who slammed easyJet after being hit with a £48 fine for his bag being too large - despite the fact it fitted perfectly into the airline's baggage size checker. Jake Hughes was attempting to board his flight at Manchester Airport on Wednesday but clashed with a member of staff who insisted his hand luggage was too big. Despite demonstrating to staff that this wasn't the case, Jake claims the budget airline threatened to 'terminate' his boarding pass if he didn't cough up the money and made him delete all the footage he had taken. Video filmed by Jake shows the bag - a small grey holdall - inside one of the metal frames used by easyJet to measure cabin bag size, fitting neatly into the space. Jake points at it and says: 'This bag fits perfectly in here. easyJet flight.' The staff member, who appears to work for an external handling company on behalf of the airline, asks him to remove it. He initially reaches for it but decides to leave it in and asks to speak to somebody more senior. He says: 'No, I'm actually going to leave it in there. I need a manager to see this. Someone higher up than you to see this.' A queue of passengers can be seen waiting with their bags to his side. He gestures to the size frame on the other side, but the staff member claims it is only for passengers entitled to 'speedy boarding'. Jake repeats: 'So this is my bag, I need a manager here.'


The Sun
11 hours ago
- The Sun
Seven UK airports where staff ‘get paid bonuses to catch easyJet passengers with oversized cabin bags' are revealed
A LEAKED email has revealed how airport staff earn bonuses for catching out passengers travelling with oversized baggage. Staff at Swissport are reportedly receiving bonuses for stopping tourists with large bags at gates in airports. 6 6 The email described how staff could receive £1.20 (£1 after tax) per bag they seize. It was sent to Swissport employees at seven UK airports. The firm runs passenger gates at airports across the world, including the UK. Staff at Belfast, Birmingham, Glasgow, Jersey, Liverpool and Newcastle airports received the email. Seen by The Sunday Times the message encourages staff to stop holidaymakers at gates if they suspect their bag is too large. Staff were incentivised with payments for every bag they flagged as too big. The email described this as 'the easyJet gate bag revenue incentive' and said it was intended to 'reward agents doing the right thing.' It went on to detail how payments would be made directly to employees who caught out travellers with large bags. The Sun understands the email was sent in November 2023 with the policy still in force today. Staff who were concerned with meeting their targets were told they would be provided with internal tracking to identify opportunities for training and support for individual agents. Moment EasyJet passenger is SLAPPED by airport worker as he screams abuse at staff after being refused entry to plane It was signed by Dean Martin, a Swissport station manager at Glasgow airport and read: 'Thank you for your ongoing contribution to the success of easyJet' Staff members employed by another company, DHL Supply Chain, also have an incentive programme for identifying easyJet bags as too large. Under DHL Supply Chain staff at Gatwick, Bristol and Manchester airports recieve a nominal fee for catching out unsuspecting easyJet travellers. Passengers on easyJet flights are allowed by the airline to take one small bag on their plane for free. 6 6 Larger bags can be placed in overhead lockers but customers are charged extra for this service. The airline made an eye watering £9 billion in revenue last year. The incentive for staff applies if they catch a passenger whose bag is deemed too big for them to take it onto the plane. This is usually either because customers haven't paid to take a larger suitcase on board or because their free hand luggage is too large. Boarding gates are usually equipped with metal boxes that customers bags must fit into to be eligible to take on board. If customers bags are too large to fit into the boxes they are charged an extra fee at the gate for their luggage. EasyJet is said to charge £48 at the gate for this, £1.20 of that is paid to the ground handler. Both Swissport and DHL Supply Chain decide how much their staff are paid for catching out unsuspecting holidaymakers. 6 6 A spokesman for easyJet said: '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 spokesman for Swissport said: '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.' A spokeswoman for DHL Supply Chain said the company requires 'all colleagues to consistently adhere to [the easyJet baggage policy] and this is recognised as part of their remuneration'. She added: 'Doing so ensures we provide a smooth travel experience for every passenger.' The Sun has contacted Swissport and easyJet for comment. Holiday packing tips Jemma Solomon, aka The Label Lady has got 5 packing tips to help you get organised for your next holiday. 1. Write a list Think about all the essentials you need to take with you; suncream, medicine, a few games for the kids, beach towels, and write everything in one list, which you can tick off as you add it to your suitcase. Or for complete ease, try Google's AI app - Gemini - which will create a list for you and help you not over pack. 2. Involve your kids Jemma said: 'My girls are getting older, they're 11 and nine, and they enjoy helping to pack. So I send them a list, and say 'this is what you need' and they follow the list. 'And then I give them a rucksack each - and say to them 'you can have whatever you want in there as long as it's not liquid', and they can take that on the plane. And that's their 'home away from home' items.' 3. Try a hack or two She said: "I think they all work, but for different reasons - and you've just got to pick the right one for your trip. "Rolling your clothes is really good to stop your clothes from getting creases. And if you're trying to get a lot of items into your case, it's a space saver. 'Packing cubes are great - for example, I'm going on holiday with my three kids and we're all using the same suitcase for our clothes. "These handy compartments let you separate your clothes, toiletries and tech into designated cubes, maximising luggage space by keeping your items compressed and neatly stacked. "I love taking them abroad with the family and it means my kids can easily take charge of their own items once we've arrived." 4. Decant beauty products Do you really need to take full-size bottles of shampoo and conditioner with you? The beauty industry has evolved so much, you can now buy shampoo bars or sheets - which are much lighter and smaller. Or, if you'll be popping to the shops when you're abroad, consider buying some items when you arrive. 5. Get organised before you come home Jemma said: 'When you repack on holiday [before coming home], the trick is to separate clean from dirty clothes. 'Also pack it in some form of order - so lights, darks, colours for items that need washing, or if you wash your clothes by person in the household, piles for each person. "Then you can put it straight into the washing machine. Do it straight away, don't leave it."