AIR TRAVEL:AS AIRLINES have grown increasingly strict about imposing excess baggage charges, most Irish people appear to have become more disciplined about what they bring on holidays but nearly one in five travellers was hit with excess baggage charges last year, a new study has found.
The survey, carried on by travel website lastminute.com, found that just over 15 per cent of Irish people incurred charges for exceeding their baggage allowance in 2010 and collectively paid out €28 million to airlines with the average charge imposed standing at €55 per traveller.
“We might all be on the lookout for cheap holiday deals but it seems we’re not being quite so cost-conscious when it comes to packing,” said Mark Maddock, managing director of lastminute.com, UK and Ireland.
He urged holidaymakers “to keep it lean and pack light in order to avoid extra charges”.
The online travel company also published a number of tips which, it said, would help people avoid excess baggage charges this summer.
It advised people to invest in new lightweight luggage and to make the most of hand luggage through the use of vacuum packing bags which shrink clothes to allow more space for bulkier items.
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