From April, Dutch budget airline Transavia will begin charging passengers to bring cabin baggage onboard. The airline follows the example set by many other airlines including EasyJet and Ryanair.
Transavia passengers will be charged 10 euros to bring their hand baggage on board, in a move which the airline hopes will reduce the amount of time required for boarding at the airport as more passengers choose to check baggage in the hold.
“The policy change is necessary because we are facing ever-increasing costs, in addition to renewing our fleet,” Transavia said. “For instance, we have to pay more and more for emission rights and maintenance costs are rising.”
Transavia’s new baggage policy will be enforced from April 3 and will allow passengers to carry baggage smaller than 55 x 35 x 25 cm in the cabin. The number of these carry-on cases will be limited to 70 per aircraft.
Small bags such as handbags and small backpacks which can be stored under the seat can still be taken on board free of charge. “Transavia has always had a flexible hand baggage regime and that is now changing,” Frank Oostdam from the travel association ANVR explained to the AD.
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