Bizarre moment easyJet passenger tears his suitcase into PIECES before squeezing it into the measuring frame in desperate bid to avoid excess baggage fee
This is a bizarre moment when a frustrated easyJet passenger starts tearing apart his own luggage – in an attempt to avoid paying excess baggage fees.
A clip that has since gone viral shows the man tearing the wheels and handle off his small suitcase, trying to make it fit into the smaller of two frames used to judge the size of carry-on luggage .
easyJet allows all jetsetters to take one piece of small hand luggage with a maximum size of 45 x 36 x 20 cm on board free of charge, but it must fit under their seat.
Larger cabin bags measuring up to 56 x 45 x 25cm, to be stored in the overhead lockers, can be pre-booked on board for an additional fee from £5.99 – but the cost increases to £48 for anything not booked for arrival at the terminal.
The man appears to be doing everything he can to avoid the surcharge as he waits to board a flight from Palma Airport in Mallorca, Spain – tearing his suitcase to pieces in an attempt to fit it into the smaller of the two cram guides.
The man is seen tearing the suitcase to pieces as amused passengers watch
He plants his foot on his suitcase to tear off the carrying handle and wheels
He struggles to pull off the handle in an effort not to pay a hefty excess baggage fee
Good luck! The handle and wheels come off the case with a little effort, leaving the case smaller but slightly mangled
He successfully crams the now somewhat ruined suitcase into the smaller of easyJet’s two hand luggage measuring frames
He plants his foot firmly in the middle to strengthen himself as he pulls the carrying handle and the wheels wipe off.
He then slides the mutilated bag into the smaller of the two frames, seemingly pleased with his efforts.
The video was filmed on Monday, August 14 by Kimberly Standen, who was waiting for the same flight home after spending a long weekend in Mallorca with her 35-year-old boyfriend David.
The 29-year-old said the frustrated passenger spent about 15 minutes “throwing” his bag on the floor of the terminal to fit it into the small carry-on checker.
Kimberly, from Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk, East Anglia, said: ‘I don’t think there has been any confrontation before this point (between him and an easyJet representative).
“We were queuing to board and I assume he hadn’t paid for a large carry-on so the bag had to fit under his seat (because it was the free option).
He slammed the bag to the ground and tried to break the wheels off.
“I only managed to film the end of it, but before that he’d kicked it, thrown it, slammed the wheels, and because airports have stone floors, the sound just reverberates.
“He did this for at least 10 or 15 minutes. Everyone was very happy that he managed to get the bag in (the little cabin meter).
“Some people cheered and many people laughed and were amazed at what they saw.”
easyJet introduced new hand luggage rates in early 2021, bringing it in line with other no-frills airlines such as Ryanair and Wizz.
The airline claimed the move would “improve boarding and punctuality,” but was labeled a money grab by customers.
Kimberly said the policy had been widely advertised in the airport terminal in Mallorca, meaning it shouldn’t come as a surprise to her fellow flier.
The logistics manager added: ‘I don’t know the man’s financial situation and he may have just been annoyed and wouldn’t pay (for a bigger bag) on principle.
‘What I do know is that when you book a flight (with easyJet) you know what baggage you are paying for.
“If you take the risk and take a suitcase that is not these (correct) dimensions, you know that you can be stopped and asked to pay for it.
‘Who knows. Whether it is right for the airline to charge a fee or not, the baggage allowance is well advertised.’
Kimberly Standen with boyfriend David on holiday in Mallorca
Kimberley in a selfie taken on holiday in Mallorca – before meeting the short-tempered traveller
easyJet passengers boarding an aircraft. Kimberley said signs advertising the airline’s baggage policy were ‘plastered’ over the terminal
She added: “You know what you’re paying for and if they ask you to pay for it (if your bag is too big) you have to be able to accept that.
“The advertisements about baggage dimensions are posted at the baggage check-in area and security.
“It’s so well advertised all over the airport and I think this was a bit of an overreaction.
“I wonder if he was having a bad day.”
Since she shared the post on her TikTok page, the video has been viewed more than 400,000 times and liked nearly 5,000 times.
While some viewers sympathized with the passenger’s actions to avoid baggage fees, others were shocked by the lengths he went to to avoid the fee.
One person commented, “Bless him. I understand his frustration. It’s getting ridiculous.’
Another person added, “There is always a way to beat the system. Love it’
A third said, “But they literally post their luggage size online and people still don’t read.”
A fourth commented, “Great effort mate!”
An EasyJet spokesperson said: ‘Customers’ hand luggage must fall within the size limits to fit safely where they are to be stowed in the cabin.
“We clearly inform customers about the maximum size of hand luggage when booking, via email before they travel and it is also clearly displayed on boarding passes.”
It’s not the first time airline passengers have taken bizarre steps to avoid paying extra baggage fees while travelling.
One couple tried wearing all their clothes to avoid being overweight, while another flyer invented a jacket that allowed them to carry laptops, sweaters and cameras.