EasyJet passenger exposes airport baggage sizer costing holidaymakers money

Everyone has been there. Heading off on a trip and only taking a carry on. Standing in the queue, wondering if you’ll get checked or not, and if the bag you have chosen will pass the test. For one passenger who knew he was within the rules, a photo and a stubborn streak stopped him from losing out unfairly on a fair few quid.

The €96 charge that didn’t add up

When Icelandic passenger Adalsteinn Svan Hjelm and his teenage daughter were stopped at Gatwick Airport and told their bags didn’t fit easyJet’s sizing cage, he wasn’t buying it. Both bags had sailed through checks elsewhere without a problem, so paying £48 each to bring them onboard felt off from the start. His case, first reported by consumer group Which?, is a timely warning for anyone flying with hand luggage this summer.

Hjelm suspected the sizing cage itself was the problem, not his luggage. According to the report, he got in touch with his bag’s manufacturer, who confirmed the case was built to easyJet’s own specifications, and even tested it at another airport with zero issues. Photos he took at Gatwick later showed metal bulkheads inside the cage sitting in the wrong position, effectively shrinking the space available and making it impossible for a perfectly compliant bag to fit.

A complaint that almost went nowhere

Getting easyJet to admit the mistake wasn’t quick or easy. Which? reports that customer service turned him down, and even the independent adjudicator AviationADR initially sided with the airline, apparently without ever physically checking the cage itself. It was only after Hjelm escalated things directly to easyJet’s senior leadership team, attaching his photos as evidence, that the airline agreed to investigate. Staff confirmed the metal bars were indeed misaligned and had the equipment fixed. EasyJet has since refunded the £96 as a gesture of goodwill.

What travellers should check before they fly

If you’re heading through security with hand luggage, a little prep could save you an unpleasant surprise:

– Measure your bag at home before travelling, ideally with a tape measure rather than guesswork.
– Snap photos of your bag next to any airport sizer if you’re made to use one, especially if something looks off.
– Keep your airline’s official dimensions handy on your phone in case of a dispute.
– Don’t be afraid to push back and escalate a complaint if you believe your bag was compliant, persistence paid off here.
– Know your rights to use an adjudicator like AviationADR if a direct complaint doesn’t work.