Bad news if you’re a family taking a tent on a budget airline flight to Europe this summer. You can pretty much kiss goodbye any savings you make from choosing a low-cost carrier … because you’re going to get stung by some seriously hefty luggage surcharges.
According to research by I Spy Camping, the main low-cost airlines make no provision for families to include large tents with their online booking and can charge more than £300 for the luggage and tent that a family of four can expect to carry.
Online booking engines don’t allow passengers to specify a tent as part of their luggage, forcing families to run the risk of listing their canvas accommodation as sports equipment.
Worse still, easyJet doesn’t list tents in its list of sports category equipment, forcing customers to seek clarification with a lengthy and costly contact to a call centre.
The pain doesn’t end there. Budget airlines are notorious for charging prohibitively high prices for luggage – surcharges often amount to more than the actual flight.
Despite currently advertising low-price travel from only £13, Ryanair will charge a massive £340 for a family of four travelling with two 20kg bags, two 15kg bags and a sports equipment allocation of up to 20kg for a family tent.
EasyJet, which is currently promoting seats to European beaches from only £50, will charge around £100 for a family luggage allocation of four 20kg bags, although a standard 20kg family-sized tent must be included in the baggage allowance as it doesn’t meet the airline’s sports equipment criteria.
So much for saving money by sleeping under canvas! Might as well just book a hotel instead.
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