The reliance of low-cost airlines on ancillary revenue to increase their thin margins that exist as a result of the cheap fares that make them an attractive option to passengers is a tale as old as time. These add-ons serve as a necessary evil, and, as flyers, we put up with them for the greater good of competitive fares. However, what is generally an accepted part of modern aviation can sometimes go too far.

Indeed, leading European low-cost carrier easyJet has found itself in hot water with Italian authorities over accusations of unfair business practices linked to its generation of ancillary revenue. This particular case centers on baggage add-ons, and the way that they are presented to flyers during the purchase process. According to Italian authorities, easyJet’s framing could force passengers to overpay.

Bundled Purchases Could Force Passengers To Overpay

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Reporting on the matter by the likes of Reuters and Euro News highlights the fact that easyJet pushes its ‘bundled’ add-ons as the default options when it comes to adding baggage and sports equipment to their bookings. This practice reportedly requires a manual override if flyers only want to buy the bags and not other extras, which, it is said, many customers may not notice or know how to do.

Furthermore, the bundled nature of easyJet’s default offering presents passengers with the average price of its add-ons based on a round-trip booking, giving a distorted picture for those making one-way journeys or only checking a bag in one direction. As such, Italian antitrust authorities are formally probing easyJet’s practices to establish whether or not they confuse flyers or hide information. easyJet said that:

“We ⁠will fully cooperate with the authority throughout its investigation. We will now carefully review ⁠the ​authority’s notice and consider our ​next steps.”

Crunching The Numbers

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The Luton-based low-cost carrier went on to say that it had “always ​acted ⁠in line with applicable consumer laws and remains committed to ensuring ​transparency and fairness” when it comes to the information provided to passengers at the point of purchase. With this in mind, just how much can the airline’s passengers expect to pay if they want to add things like baggage to their bookings? The figures do vary.

Indeed, for large cabin bags and checked luggage, easyJet’s website highlights the fact that “fees vary with demand, route, flight date and time of booking,” but assures guests that “you’ll see [the] exact price at time of purchase.” This phrasing is the result of another probe that we will discuss later in the article. However, there are some areas where easyJet is more consistent in its pricing, regardless of the route.

Indeed, sports equipment has set prices, with small pieces costing £42 when booked online or £52 at the airport (£1=$1.34). As for large pieces of sports equipment, these command fees of £50 online and £60 at the airport. In terms of normal luggage, easyJet charges £12 per kg of excess weight if a bag is heavier than the booked amount: in this sense, it certainly pays to ensure that your bag is within limits.

easyJet Has Already Been In Hot Water Over Ancillary Advertising This Year

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Elsewhere in Europe, easyJet has also faced regulatory scrutiny from advertising authorities in the UK in 2026. Indeed, the BBC reported in January of this year that the orange-clad low-cost carrier had had to remove a claim on its website that cabin bags could be added to bookings “from £5.99“. While this was technically true, it was only the starting prices, and applied to a select handful of routes.

However, the Advertising Standards Authority alleged that passengers would take this figure to be one that was available across a wider range of flights and dates than actually turned out to be the case. With this in mind, easyJet subsequently revised the wording on its website to mitigate potential confusion. In any case, as long as low-cost airlines exist, so will the ancillary fees that we all love to hate.