EasyJet’s claim that carry-on baggage fees start “from £5.99” has been deemed misleading by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). The watchdog determined that there was insufficient evidence to support the availability of this price across various flight routes and dates. As a result, easyJet has been instructed to discontinue the use of this phrase.
In addition, easyJet is now required to ensure that the “from” price for large cabin bags represents the lowest price available across a significant portion of flights going forward. Despite easyJet’s argument that the advertised price was accurate and applicable to a range of routes, they acknowledged that prices could vary based on factors like availability, demand, and operational expenses.
Following an investigation by consumer group Which?, it was revealed that the price for adding a large cabin bag exceeded £5.99 on all 520 easyJet flights analyzed. The lowest price discovered was £23.49, with an average price of £30.
Rory Boland, the editor of Which? Travel, expressed astonishment at airlines ignoring rules and misleading customers with unrealistic prices. He applauded the ASA’s ruling against easyJet, emphasizing the prevalence of airlines using low initial fares and then charging significantly higher prices for standard cabin bags. Boland advised consumers to consider airlines without cabin bag add-ons to potentially save costs when booking trips.
In response, easyJet stated its commitment to providing transparent pricing information to customers. The airline confirmed that they consistently offer large cabin bags at the lowest possible price and have made adjustments to ensure clarity following the ASA’s feedback.