How I won a £50 voucher from easyJet after an epic battle over my cabin bag. And the tricks to avoiding sneaky charges that are costing some airlines a quarter of their revenue

No-nonsense airlines are finding sneaky new ways to extort money from passengers by tightening their hand luggage rules.

Norma Latham, 76, was shocked when her son Stuart was stopped as he boarded an EasyJet flight home from their holiday in the Spanish resort of Benidorm in May.

Stuart, 51, had kindly offered to carry his mother’s carry-on luggage onto the plane, as well as his own bag.

But when Stuart was asked to show his boarding pass, staff at Alicante airport demanded Stuart pay 58 euros (£50) to take her navy and white polka dot bag on board.

Norma, a retired chiropodist from Brentwood, Essex, said: ‘Despite politely explaining that it was my bag – which it clearly was – and pointing me further along, the chiropodist wouldn’t budge.’

The pair had already paid for these bags as part of the allowance when purchasing their tickets and were not breaking any rules.

However, Stuart was told he would not be allowed to board the plane until the money was handed over.

Norma says: ‘I was forced to go back to the gate and pay the fee before we were allowed to fly home. We ended up being the last ones on the plane.

“My son was just trying to be nice. You shouldn’t get fined for trying to help.”

Travel experts warn that airlines are increasingly detaining passengers at the gate if they suspect they have broken the rules.

Budget airlines have drastically reduced the amount of carry-on luggage passengers can take with them in an effort to squeeze more money out of passengers. This ploy allows airlines to sell tickets at rock-bottom prices – until you add baggage allowance.

As long as you adhere to each airline’s various size and weight restrictions, you’ll typically be allowed to bring one small bag for free, plus a larger carry-on bag that must be paid for separately. This is often sold as part of a more expensive “priority” ticket option.

Norma was aware of the size changes and spent £35 on a new cabin bag so it would fit under the seat in front of her.

She had also paid an additional £50 to have a suitcase weighing up to 23kg carried in the aircraft hold.

Norma herself had a bag of duty-free groceries with her. This bag is usually considered separate from hand luggage if you buy the items after check-in.

She says: ‘Stuart helped with my hand luggage as I had a couple of bottles of duty free rum in a sealed plastic bag.’

Furious at the way she was treated, Norma emailed EasyJet asking for a refund once she got home.

EasyJet’s resolution support team responded eight days later with: ‘Your son had two carry-on bags at the gate – this is why you were charged. I regret to inform you that we are unable to honour your refund request.’

Norma was undeterred and replied immediately, feeling the airline was still in the wrong. After another eight days, EasyJet responded – this time thanking her for ‘getting in touch’ and offering a flight voucher for 58 euros.

Norma says: ‘It is disgraceful behaviour to target elderly or infirm people who may need help with their luggage.’

Norma accepted the voucher and the next day easyJet responded: ‘We are sorry to hear that you felt the baggage charges were unfair due to physical limitations.

‘In case of excess baggage, even if it belongs to another passenger, additional charges will be levied. This is to ensure the safety and comfort of all our passengers. Your suggestion to make it clear at the boarding gates that each passenger must carry his own baggage has been noted.’

An easyJet spokesman said: “We are sorry that Ms Latham’s son was incorrectly charged for his mother’s extra bag. Our ground crew were not aware that they were travelling together. We apologise for the misunderstanding and will refund the charge. We will also make a goodwill gesture.”

Norma uses the voucher to book a trip to Gran Canaria in January. As she is travelling alone, she will have to carry her own bag – so she should at least avoid a fine.

What should you do to avoid fees? According to market researcher IdeaWorksCompany, baggage fees can account for a quarter of the revenue of no-frills airlines that rely on such extras.

Check individual airline restrictions on carry-on luggage, as they vary widely. Remember to include wheels in your measurements, and a handle that can stick out.

Ryanair has reduced the maximum dimensions for free hand luggage from 55x40x20 cm (the dimensions of a small suitcase with wheels) to 40x20x25 cm (the dimensions of a laptop bag).

The carrier may charge £45 if your free cabin bag exceeds the dimensions and £70 if the larger cabin bag is oversized or weighs more than 10kg.

EasyJet changed its free cabin baggage size three years ago from 56x45x25cm, the size of a small backpack, to 45x36x20cm, the size of a tote bag. There is a £48 fee if you exceed the cabin baggage allowance.

Wizz Air has reduced the free allowance from 55x40x23cm, a small backpack, to 40x30x20cm, the size of a handbag. It can charge anything from £10 to £106 one-way if your bag is oversized or weighs more than 10kg, depending on when and where you fly.

The hope is that the measure will encourage more passengers to spend extra – typically between £6 and £50 – to get a better seat, which also allows for a larger cabin bag.

Passengers caught violating these limits risk a hefty fine and must also hand over their baggage to be placed in the hold for an additional fee.

Katy Maclure, an expert at travel money-saving website Jack’s Flight Club, says: ‘It’s cheaper to buy the required baggage allowance, although some people are still inclined to gamble on not getting caught.’