EasyJet has confirmed that a hand luggage sizer at Gatwick Airport was either altered or damaged, making it too small for compliant bags. This admission follows a complaint from a passenger who was charged £96 in baggage fees.
Adalsteinn Svan Hjelm and his daughter were charged £48 each for their bags while travelling from Iceland to Greece via Gatwick. Mr Hjelm suspected the sizer was faulty, having read about a similar issue at Chania Airport in Crete.
Despite an initial rejection from easyJet customer services and its adjudication scheme, AviationADR, Mr Hjelm escalated his complaint with photographic evidence. EasyJet eventually agreed that metal bars on one side of the sizer were incorrectly placed and refunded him the £96. The airline stated the Gatwick sizer has since been fixed.
EasyJet maintains that this was an isolated incident, rejecting suggestions of a wider problem. The airline stated that bag sizers are checked weekly, or sooner if an issue is identified, and are maintained and fixed if reported by ground crew.