CHECK-IN staff at the Airport have been encouraged to charge passengers a controversial fee for oversized baggage to hit flight targets, sparking online backlash.
Ports of Jersey said that a sign – spotted in a backstage area of the Airport – “used messaging that did not reflect the customer experience”, while easyJet denied responsibility and said it had instructed its removal.
The sign, which was widely circulated on social media after being spotted by a passenger, encouraged ground handling staff to “hit EasyJet revenue target” off £200 per flight, by charging passengers £48 for oversized baggage.
It comes less than two years after it was revealed Swissport Staff at Jersey Airport would receive £1 for every oversized cabin bag they charged for at gates for easyJet flights under an incentive scheme designed to enforce the budget airline’s unpopular rules.
Ports of Jersey chief executive Matt Thomas said customer experience was “phenomenally important” and added: “EasyJet are very aligned with us in terms of they really do care about the experience their customers have. So I would have been surprised if they were in any ways endorsing that.”
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the airline said: “This is not an easyJet poster and easyJet does not set bag charge targets. As soon as we were made aware of this sign at Jersey Airport, we instructed the ground handler at the Airport to remove it.”
They added that ground handling agents are not employed by easyJet, but rather third parties which can vary by airport, with Swissport employed at Jersey Airport.
A spokesperson for the ground handling provider said: “We comply with airlines’ baggage policies. As a ground handler, we are contracted to do so.”
The photo of the sign was posted to social media by an anonymous user, who wrote: “This notice is on the door behind the desks at the Airport. It reminds the dispatchers that they need to charge 4/5 passengers per flight for oversize cabin baggage.”
The sign also features an image on bag size-check units often found at airport gates and an easyJet plane – although is not in the airline’s branding.
In the comment section, one user said “this is absolutely disgusting”, while another added “this is daylight robbery”.
However, others also reminded flyers that it is the responsibility of the passenger to check their bag size.
In 2024, the JEP obtained an email sent to staff by a Swissport station manager, in which he announced the launch of the easyJet Gate Bag Revenue Programme, through which agents would “be eligible to receive £1.20 (£1 after tax) for every gate bag taken”.
When approached for comment at the time, an easyJet spokesperson said the airline’s ground staff were employed by Swissport, adding “easyJet does not provide incentives for ground handling agents”.
Meanwhile, 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.”
