Cheap flights double the price as budget airlines increase checked baggage fees

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EasyJet and Ryanair are among the airlines who levy insidious fees on online bookings when customers book European destinations Consumer Group Which? found a return of £30 from London to Mallorca jumped to £79

Vacationers face sky-high baggage fees that more than DOUBLE the price of cheap flights if they put bags in the hold.

The sneaky fee is often displayed as an “opt-in” perk during the booking process on budget airlines.

The Sunday Mirror found a £50.15 return journey from Luton to Croatia in October with easyJet, which shot up £59.48 to £109.63 when checked baggage was booked.

And consumer group Which? found a £30 return ticket from London to Mallorca with Ryanair which jumped to £79.

Passengers can also be charged an extra £70 each way if their hand luggage exceeds the airline’s size limit. But which one? says it’s so “tiny” you can only pack a change of clothes.

Ryanair allows cabin baggage measuring 40 x 20 x 25 cm, the size of a laptop bag. EasyJet allows bags of 45 x 36 x 20cm but anything larger costs £5.99 and up.

The? said: “For many, baggage is essential and it’s about time Ryanair treated it that way too.”

Ryanair said its baggage policy is “transparent”. EasyJet said the fact that bags can cost more than the flights shows how cheap the flights are.