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EasyJet has been instructed to cease advertising carry-on baggage fees starting “from £5.99” after failing to provide the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) with evidence supporting that passengers can actually secure cabin bag storage at that rate. The ASA highlighted that customers are likely to interpret this pricing as a guaranteed option for their hand luggage at this specific fee.
The complaint was initiated by consumer group Which?, which pointed out that airlines often lure customers with low headline prices, only to add on various extra charges later. EasyJet defended its pricing page by stating it aims to present transparent information regarding fees and charges. The airline maintained that it regularly offers large cabin bags at the lowest stated price and asserted that the £5.99 figure was accurate on multiple routes. They argued that because prices below £5.99 were never available, the claim was not misleading.
However, the ASA expected evidence from EasyJet that cabin bags could indeed be booked for £5.99, which was not supplied. The watchdog emphasized that the phrase “from £5.99” led consumers to believe that the price applied widely across many flights and dates. Consequently, the ASA ruled this wording as misleading and ordered EasyJet not to use it in the future. EasyJet responded by explaining that the relevant webpage was intended to inform rather than promote and has since been updated to state that fees vary based on multiple factors, including demand, route, flight date, and timing of booking. The airline added that exact prices are visible to customers at the point of sale and that due to fluctuating demand and availability, it cannot provide fixed figures.
Which?’s research revealed that typical cabin bag charges with EasyJet were roughly five times higher than the advertised £5.99. Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel, criticized the airline industry for a widespread practice of marketing low initial fares but imposing steep baggage fees afterward. He stated, “It’s frankly astonishing that airlines think they can ignore the rules and mislead customers with unattainable prices, so it’s absolutely right that the ASA has made this ruling.” Boland advised passengers to consider airlines that include cabin bags in the ticket price to potentially save money. Consumer rights expert Jayne Hawkes added that this problem is not limited to EasyJet and that confusing baggage policies only harm customers’ confidence. Meanwhile, the European Union has voted for rules requiring airlines to allow passengers to bring a carry-on bag weighing up to 7kg free of charge, although this legislation has yet to be approved by member states
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