Four major European airlines are set to scrap free hand luggage onboard, it has been warned. All airlines under the Lufthansa Group have introduced new rules that will require passengers to pay to take a suitcase onboard. The shake-up impacts Lufthansa, Brussels Airlines, Swiss, and Austrian Airlines.
New Rules for UK Tourists
The change means UK tourists on short or medium-length flights to the European Union will only be able to take a personal item free with them onboard. The airlines describe this as a laptop bag or small bag. The airline group stated that it would allow passengers an “additional option at an attractive entry-level price.”
Implementation Date
The new rules will be trialed from April 28 and then rolled out across the airlines' entire network of routes. Lufthansa, which flies from Birmingham Airport (BHX), has recently made headlines due to staff strikes causing flight cancellations at the West Midlands transport hub, including both departures and arrivals.
Additional Concerns for Summer Holidays
The blow comes at a time when UK tourists are beginning to panic about the fate of their summer holidays, given the Strait of Hormuz closure. The closure of this key shipping route means jet fuel or aviation fuel could run low this summer, potentially putting June, July, and August holidays at risk. Jet fuel shortages could hit EU countries within weeks, energy experts reckon, as the US, Iran, and Israel war in the Middle East continues.
Fare Structure Changes
The airline added: “The enhanced fare structure thus enables a clear, transparent selection tailored to individual needs.” The four airlines have told passengers that the item being brought onboard must be no more than 15cm x 30cm x 40cm. Passengers wanting to take a larger bag or cabin suitcase onboard will now have to pay if they book the most basic Economy Basic fare.
