UK Holidaymakers Set to be Fleeced out of £1million in Unfair Baggage Charges this Bank Holiday alone

Over half a million holidaymakers are estimated to fly out of UK airports this weekend looking for a relaxing break but for some the holiday will start with a rain cloud. Many UK tour operators will be charging customers for excess baggage at the check-in desk – so an extra charge to what they have already paid for their holiday – and the first they will know about it will be when they weigh their bags.

Thomson – recently voted most trusted holiday brand by Reader’s Digest – allow its passengers to take 20Kg per person hold baggage as standard on flights, an extra 5Kg compared to their major competitor Thomas Cook.

Thomas Cook’s baggage allowance has now gone down to 15Kg per person – with any extra weight having to be paid for at check in. A 15Kg weight allowance is not a lot for a week – or longer – away from home.

Derek Jones, Sales Director from Thomson said:

“We have been campaigning for transparent holiday pricing for some time now. When people are booking a holiday their luggage allowance is probably not at the top of their list and it’s only when they check in and find out they need to hand over more cash that they realise that 15Kg doesn’t equate to a lot of stuff – it’s certainly tough to pack for a week away when taking only 15Kg.

We estimate that Thomas Cook will have charged their customers well in excess of £1million this weekend relating to bags that are over the 15Kg limit.

We feel this is wholly unfair on two levels. Firstly 15Kg is not really enough of a baggage allowance for a weeks holiday and secondly people don’t realise just how little luggage makes up the limit of 15Kg. Once they are at the airport and faced with an excess luggage charge they have no choice but to pay it and that’s how our competitors are making money out of their customers – by levying these unfair charges on to them.”