SWISSPORT staff at Jersey Airport will receive £1 for every oversized cabin bag they take from passengers at gates for easyJet flights under a new incentive scheme designed to force adherence to the budget airline’s unpopular baggage rules.
An email sent to staff by Swissport’s Dean Martin and obtained by the JEP announced the launch of the easyJet Gate Bag Revenue Programme, under which agents “will be eligible to receive £1.20 (£1 after tax) for every gate bag taken, effective immediately”.
EasyJet’s strict baggage policy allows passengers to bring only a small underseat cabin bag on flights, and charges between £5.99 and £32.99 for a larger bag that fits in the overhead lockers.
After handing over their boarding pass and passport at the departure gate, passengers are often required to place their luggage in baggage-sizers. If bags do not fit, they can be fined £40.
A source at Jersey Airport told the JEP that the process was unpopular with Swissport staff, so much so that a number of agents have been disciplined and fined for not enforcing the rules.
“You get a family going on holiday with a couple of kids and when they get to the gate you’re taking another £80 off them for two bags. A lot of passengers get stroppy about it, and it’s the staff who are getting the flack for that,” the source said.
Swissport denies that anyone has been disciplined or suspended related to administration of baggage charges.
In his email, Mr Martin writes that the scheme is “intended to reward agents doing the right thing and provide clarity and consistency in our customer service to passengers”.
It states that agents have always been incentivised for taking passenger bags at the gate but previously the money was pooled and divided among all staff. Now, security agents will receive the incentive directly as part of their monthly salaries.
“What happens if I don’t meet the gate bag revenue target? Will I be in trouble?” Mr Martin asks, rhetorically.
“Our internal tracking will be used to identify opportunities for further support or training for individual agents as part of your ongoing learning and development but will not be used negatively […]. Thank you for your ongoing contribution to the success of easyJet.”
In a statement, an easyJet spokesperson said the airline’s ground staff were employed by Swissport at Jersey Airport “and so you would need to speak them”, adding: “EasyJet does not provide incentives for ground handling agents.”
Contacted by the JEP, a Swissport spokesperson said: “It is not for us to comment on easyJet’s policies or initiatives, but what we can say is that, as their handling agent in Jersey, we strictly adhere to all policies and procedures set by the airline.”
It comes as easyJet has faced a backlash in Europe over its baggage policies, with Spain fining five budget airlines £149 million for abusive practices including charging for hand luggage. Easyjet was fined £24m, with Spain’s Consumer Rights Ministry singling out charging extra for cabin baggage and reserving seats for children. EasyJet said it will appeal against the ruling.
The airline has installed boxes at departure gates that allow staff to see if bags are too big, if either underseat bags or paid-for cabin bags are too big passengers are fined a whopping £48. EasyJet also charges £40 if oversized cabin bags are deposited at the bag drop desk.
Rules
EasyJet’s website says that every passenger can bring one small underseat bag per person on board for free that can be a maximum size of 45 x 36 x 20 cm, including handles and wheels. A larger cabin bag, limited to 56 x 45 x 25 cm, must be paid for and pre-booked and can cost anything between £5.99 and £32.99 per flight.
