| Anyone who lives in Europe knows about the low | | | | 15kg suitcase in the hold £35 booked in advance |
| cost airlines that chiefly operate from the UK but also | | | | (£70 at the airport); excess baggage £20/kg. |
| from other countries. The fares are often highly | | | | Monarch. 10kg hand luggage free. 20kg hold luggage |
| competitive, my wife recently flew Ryanair from | | | | £9.99 to £15.99 (£18 at the airport); excess |
| Malaga, Spain to Bristol, England for €18 return, | | | | baggage £7.50/kg (£9/kg at the airport). |
| including taxes, for a 2,500km round trip. To put this | | | | Flybe. 10kg hand luggage free. 20kg hold luggage |
| in perspective, the bus fare from where we live in | | | | £9.99 (£18 at the airport), additional 20kg £28.00 |
| Granada Province, in the South of Spain, to Malaga | | | | (must be booked more than four hours in advance); |
| Airport is €25 return for a round trip of 200km. | | | | excess baggage £12kg for the first 3kg, £15/kg |
| And Spanish bus fares are highly subsidised. | | | | for the next 3kg and £20/kg over that. |
| There's no point in asking how they do it, their on-line | | | | Easyjet. No weight restriction on hand luggage. 20kg |
| booking algorithms are extremely sophisticated and | | | | hold luggage £9.00 (£18 at the airport), additional |
| the likes of Ryanair are highly successful companies. | | | | 3kg £12, 6kg £33, 9kg £54, 12kg £75 if |
| If you can get yourself a cheap flight then there is | | | | pre-booked or £10/kg at the airport. |
| no less expensive way of going on holiday or visiting | | | | So, it is clear that in addition to the price of your |
| friends and relations. Unless you fall foul of their | | | | flight you need to pay very close attention to the |
| baggage policies. | | | | amount of luggage weight you are planning to travel |
| Visitors to Europe from the United States that use | | | | with. A little too much shopping on holiday and it |
| the UK as the start and end of their trip may not be | | | | could cost you a lot more than you bargained for. |
| aware of the hidden pitfall of luggage allowances | | | | Not surprisingly, more and more people are opting to |
| which baffle even frequent European travellers. | | | | courier their luggage rather than run the risk of a |
| At the time of writing in April 2010, these were the | | | | huge bill at the airport. Not only does it make for |
| luggage policies and charges of the four largest | | | | stress-free travel but it means that without the wait |
| low-cost airlines flying between the UK and Spain. | | | | at the luggage carousel you get to the front of the |
| Ryanair. 5kg hand luggage free. 15kg hold luggage | | | | car hire queue! |
| £15 booked in advance (£35 at the airport); 2nd | | | | |