Overview

• Leaked internal email shows Swissport gate staff at seven UK and Channel Islands airports receive £1.20 for each oversized easyJet cabin bag flagged, with a similar nominal incentive for DHL Supply Chain employees at three more airports.
• The bonus programme, named the “easyJet gate bag revenue incentive,” has been active since November 2023 and remains in force despite growing media and public concern.
• Passengers found with unpaid oversized cabin bags at the gate incur a £48 fee, of which £1.20 is paid directly to handling staff.
• easyJet says it reminds customers of baggage rules at booking, pre-travel, and on boarding passes but stresses that incentive schemes are managed independently by contractors.
• European proposals to standardize free cabin baggage allowances are under consideration to address uneven enforcement and protect passenger rights.