Baggage handlers at several British airports are being given a bonus every time they catch an EasyJet passenger with an oversized bag, according to leaked emails.
“For every oversized bag found, you will be eligible for a £1.20 – £1 bonus,” according to an email from baggage handler Swissport obtained by the Jersey Evening Post. The bonus would apply to EasyJet passengers at seven airports in the United Kingdom, including Birmingham, Newcastle, Glasgow and Jersey. “With this bonus, we want to reward employees who do a good job,” it says.
The company will keep track of who catches a passenger how many times, the email continues. “But only to assess opportunities for additional support or training. Not for negative matters.” The email dates back to November 2023, but according to the newspaper’s sources, the bonuses are still being used today.
No other choice
Other baggage handlers at some airports, including Bristol and Manchester, are also said to be introducing similar bonuses to prevent passengers from underpaying for the pieces of luggage they carry.
A former Swissport employee told The Sunday Times that, given their modest wages, they have no choice but to look for oversized luggage. “Confronting people with excess luggage is like confronting fare dodgers,” he said. “You risk insults or worse – imagine stopping a group of lads on a stag weekend and telling them you have to charge them more than they paid for their tickets to put those bags in the hold.”
Like many other airlines, EasyJet passengers are permitted to take a small piece of hand luggage with them free of charge. If they want to take a larger piece, they must pay an extra fee. Passengers who are caught at the airport and have to book another piece of luggage after their booking, often have to pay (a lot) extra for that too.
