EasyJet's £5.99 cabin bag price claim is 'misleading', says regulator
The budget airline has been banned from advertising that the cost of adding a large cabin bag to a flight booking is 'from £5.99', as the advertising watchdog found the price to be 'misleading'.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) stated there was 'insufficient evidence' that the price was widely available. Consequently, the ASA prohibited the airline from using the phrase and mandated that it ensure the lowest 'from' price for large cabin bags is available across a significant proportion of flights.
In response, EasyJet informed the regulator that the advertised price was available for a range of routes, but prices varied depending on availability, demand, and operational costs. The airline emphasized that the price for a particular booking was clearly displayed before purchase to ensure transparency.
Large cabin bags are designed to fit in overhead lockers on planes, and most budget airlines charge passengers extra to bring a bag of that size. This ruling followed an investigation by consumer group Which? that found the price for adding a large cabin bag was more than £5.99 on all 520 EasyJet flights analyzed. The lowest price identified was £23.49, with an average of £30.
Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel, expressed astonishment at airlines' attempts to ignore rules and mislead customers with unattainable prices. He praised the ASA's ruling, which was a result of their complaint. Boland highlighted a culture of airlines using low headline fares and then charging exorbitant prices for standard cabin bags, with EasyJet's cabin bag prices being typically five times the advertised 'from £5.99'.
Boland advised customers to consider choosing an airline without cabin bag add-ons, as it may be more cost-effective. In response to the findings, EasyJet stated that they always aim to provide clear information on pricing and that the page's purpose was to display factual information on fees and charges. They acknowledged that they always have some large cabin bags available for the lowest price and made changes to the page to ensure clearer information for consumers.
