The best and worst airline baggage fees revealed – including the one that charges you £50 for a small suitcase
Low cost airlines often charge huge fees for check-in baggage, but some carriers are far worse than others
WITH low cost airlines continuing to offer rock-bottom prices on flights, carriers are looking to other ways to make money - one of which is through baggage fees.
The charges for checked-in luggage are sky-high across the board, and are sometimes more expensive than the seat price itself.
The worst offender is Ryanair, which charges up to £50 for a small 15kg checked-in bag, when you pay at the airport. Online the cost is up to £40.
With the budget Irish carrier offering super-cheap seat prices, which are on average £28 per person, it has to claw back some of its money through extra charges, including huge fees on its hold luggage.
Many airlines base their luggage fees on different factors, including whether the route is long or short haul, so we've included the cheapest and most expensive charges for each airline in our comparisons.
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Some airlines just charge a flat-fee, regardless of where you're travelling to or from.
The low-cost airlines typically allow checked-in luggage of up to 23kg, while other carriers, such as Virgin and British Airways, will allow up to 32kg.
As the table below shows, Easyjet and Flybe are among the cheapest low cost carriers for baggage fees, although Flybe charges more per kilogram for excess luggage.
If you're heading abroad this summer, make sure you know what charges you could face when checking-in your luggage, including the extra fees you'll have to pay if your bag is too heavy.
Remember, it's significantly cheaper to pay online before you're trip than at the airport, so it pays to be prepared.
If you want to save money while on your trip, head to Bulgaria - which was recently crowned the cheapest European beach holiday this summer, offering great value on hotels, food and activities.
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