easyJet has been prohibited from advertising carry-on baggage fees starting at £5.99 due to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) finding the price misleading for passengers. The ASA stated that there was insufficient evidence to support the claim that this price was available across various flight routes and dates, leading to the ruling against the airline.
Additionally, easyJet is required to ensure that the “from” price for large cabin bags represents the lowest price across a significant number of flights in the future. Despite easyJet’s argument that the advertised price was accurate and applicable to multiple routes, they acknowledged that prices could vary based on factors like availability, demand, and operational costs. The airline assured that the actual price for a specific booking would be clearly presented before purchase.
The ASA’s decision came after a study by consumer group Which? discovered that the cost of adding a large cabin bag exceeded £5.99 on all 520 analyzed easyJet flights. The lowest price found was £23.49, with an average price of £30. Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel, criticized airlines for using low initial fares and then charging significantly higher prices for standard cabin bags. He recommended that customers consider airlines without additional cabin bag fees for potentially lower overall costs.
Responding to the ruling, easyJet emphasized their commitment to providing transparent pricing information to customers. The airline stated that they always offer some large cabin bags at the lowest price and have made adjustments to ensure clarity following the ASA’s feedback.
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