Passengers travelling with Aer Lingus from next January are to face charges of up to €8 a bag each way on short-haul flights to Britain and Europe, in a measure the company says will lead to fewer queues and lower air fares.
This follows the introduction of similar charges by Ryanair last March. Ryanair is also increasing its each-way charges for checked-in luggage from September. However, Aer Lingus passengers on long-haul flights, as well as premier passengers, are excluded from the new baggage charges.
Aer Lingus, which carried some eight million passengers last year, has announced that customers can now select online where they wish to sit on the flight. From early December passengers will also be able to check-in via the internet up to 24 hours before their flight. It says 71 per cent of its customers book online, with 66 per cent using its self-service check-in facility.
The charges, of €4 a bag if booked on the internet and €8 a bag if checked in at the airport (up to a maximum of 20kg for each passenger), will apply for short-haul bookings made after next Tuesday for travel after January 17th next year. Changes to the weight allowances on long-haul flights mean customers will face excess baggage rates of €8 a bag once they exceed 36kg.
A spokeswoman for Aer Lingus confirmed that previously customers checking in luggage did not have to adhere to a specific weight limit and were allowed two pieces of luggage. However, each piece of luggage could not exceed 32kg.
Ryanair charges customers €3.50 a bag if they book in their luggage when making their reservation and €7 a bag if checked in at the airport. These charges are due to rise to €4.50 and €10 respectively from September.
Enda Corneille, commercial director of Aer Lingus, denied the charges represented "profiteering" and said they had nothing to do with rising fuel prices. The company believed their introduction, along with online enhancement, would lead to more efficient turnaround time, with savings passed on to the customer in the form of lower fares.
He denied the company was playing "catch-up" with Ryanair and defended the decision to introduce a fuel surcharge on long-haul flights. "Baggage charges are becoming standard in the competitive short-haul sector," he added.
Aer Lingus
Is introducing baggage charges for short-haul bookings made after August 8th and for travel after January 17th, 2007.
These will cost €4 a bag (each way) if booked in advance on the internet, rising to €8 a bag each way if checked in at the airport.
The maximum total baggage allowance is 20kg on short-haul flights, with passengers also allowed 6kg of cabin baggage. After this, excess baggage rates of €8 a kilo will apply. The charges apply only to short-haul flights to Britain and mainland Europe. Long-haul passengers also have a new 36kg baggage allowance.
Customers will be able to pay the baggage charges online from early December. Effective from yesterday, customers can select seats online.
Passengers will also be able to check in online up to 24 hours before their flight from early December.
Ryanair
Currently charges customers €3.50 a bag (each way) if they book their baggage when making their reservation, and €7 a bag each way if checked in at the airport. These charges are due to rise to €4.50 and €10 respectively from September. It has a maximum baggage allowance of 20kg on its flights, with 10kg of hand luggage also allowed. Excess baggage rates of €8 a kilo are charged. The charges apply to all Ryanair flights and were introduced in March.
Customers cannot choose their seats online in advance, only on boarding.
Passengers can check in on the internet up to 72 hours before their flight.