Warning over luggage fee transparency

Some air passengers may be paying more than they should when checking in luggage before a flight, according to a new report.

The Trading Standards Institute (TSI) undertook an investigation that discovered some airlines do not make their baggage fees absolutely clear to customers, while one airport was found to be using faulty scales, meaning some flyers were paying more than the advertised price for excess weight.

Passengers are also becoming increasingly confused when filling in forms relating to extra charges and some carriers charge for priority boarding when flyers cannot actually choose their own seat on the plane, the TSI said.

The Local Authorities Coordinators of Regulatory Services (LACORS) organisation advised passengers to make sure that airport scales read zero before placing their bags on them and to report any dubious practices to the relevant trading standards department.

"As more airlines start charging to check in luggage, it's important travellers know that their bags are being weighed accurately," commented councillor Geoffrey Theobald, chairman of LACORS.

Restrictions on how much hand luggage flyers can take onto flights from the UK were relaxed by the Department for Transport earlier this year.

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