I did not anticipate to have a showdown with Jet2 this summer time, however that is what occurred once I turned as much as the airport with my belongings weighing lower than 32kg…
The final thing I anticipated when arriving at Manchester Airport to fly to Rhodes was a baggage showdown on the Jet2 check-in desk, however sadly, that is precisely what I obtained.
The difficulty? Although my maintain case and cabin bag weighed lower than 32kg mixed, workers needed me to fork out an additional £45 as a result of they would not mix the weights, though they’ve completed this prior to now with out even batting an eyelid. It’s not an insignificant amount of cash on the hundreds already paid.
My allowance included a 22kg checked bag, 10kg cabin bag, and private merchandise. For 10 years, I’ve flown with Jet2 and combined and matched these weights and not using a hitch. As lengthy as my complete baggage – a suitcase, rucksack and cross-body bag – was beneath 32kg, it was by no means a problem. Until this time.
Employees demanded I take issues out of my case and put them into my rucksack or pay additional, which I wasn’t pleased with. Several instances, I defined there was no room, and we had been at an deadlock, as there was no means I used to be giving them more cash when my baggage allowance in complete was underweight.
A supervisor finally informed me I may unpack my issues right into a spare bag if I had one, which is not in Jet2’s coverage as an possibility. It left me humiliated, sifting via bikinis, knickers, and outfits on the ground of Manchester Airport, which positively is not splendid.
A spokesperson from Manchester Airport stated Jet2 is often “one of the most reasonable airlines” and assumed I’d fallen sufferer to a mistake.
He was in all probability proper, contemplating that on our return flight from Rhodes, with the very same weight in our instances, the workers did not bat an eyelid. They simply printed our passes and waved us via.
It seems I’m not the one one on the mercy of check-in desk moods. Over on TikTok, passengers have shared related tales, the place one consumer stated: “Must just be luck of the draw whether you get someone having a good or bad day.”
When contacted, Jet2 doubled down on their coverage and acknowledged: “Hold baggage and hand luggage allowances are separate and cannot be combined.” They described forcing me to repack as a “flexible solution”.
Personally, I feel essentially the most versatile resolution would have been letting my underweight baggage go into the maintain because it at all times had. It’s all occurring the identical aircraft, in spite of everything.
But no, I used to be left to wrestle my means via to the boarding gate with a backpack, my Hello Kitty bag, and a cross-body, which was truly a ache as a result of I used to be unable to help my mum with any of her belongings.
How to keep away from this difficulty:
After being humiliated like that, I’d positively stick strictly to the burden limits and never depend on the actual fact you may get good, understanding workers members.
Thankfully, a lot of the Jet2 workers I’ve come throughout prior to now have been beautiful, I simply obtained unfortunate this time. But if I selected to fly with them once more, I would not be counting on ‘widespread sense’ to prevail any longer.
As one intelligent TikTok consumer identified, a £5 digital baggage scale from Amazon is usually a complete lifesaver. They are spot-on and take away all of the guesswork.
In the longer term, I’ll positively be ensuring my baggage is precisely on the allowance, or is barely much less, as a result of I do not wish to undergo that once more.
So, study from my mistake and weigh your case! And don’t make any assumptions ‘it’s going to be nice’ as a result of I assumed that when my rucksack weighed considerably much less. But all it obtained me was scorching, sweaty, irritated, and on the ground of the airport!