When I recently flew with Jet2, I was gobsmacked to be stopped for something that I didn’t realise wasn’t allowed, and I ended up on the floor of Manchester Airport…
What could’ve been a very pleasant and exciting experience like I’ve had before with Jet2 quickly turned sour(Image: Danielle Kate Wroe)
Holiday mode was fully activated. I was ready for sunshine, a cold drink, and a smooth flight to Rhodes. Instead, my trip kicked off with an embarrassing baggage showdown at the Jet2 check-in desk.
My allowance included a 22kg checked bag, a 10kg cabin bag, and a personal item. For ten years, I’ve flown with Jet2 and mixed and matched those weights without a hitch. As long as my total luggage – a suitcase, rucksack and cross-body bag – was under 32kg, it was never an issue. Until this time.
I was told that I’d have to pay £45 for my suitcase because it was 26.6kg – even though my rucksack only weighed 4kg and I was still under my total 32kg allowance. Employees demanded that I take things out of my case and put them into my rucksack or pay extra.
Several times, I explained there was no room, and we were at an impasse, as there was no way I was giving them more money when my luggage allowance in total was underweight.
A manager eventually told me I could unpack my things into a spare bag if I had one, which isn’t in Jet2’s policy as an option. It left me humiliated, sifting through bikinis, knickers, and outfits on the floor of Manchester Airport, which definitely isn’t ideal.
A spokesperson from Manchester Airport said Jet2 is usually “one of the most reasonable airlines” and assumed I’d fallen victim to a mistake. He was probably right, considering that on our return flight from Rhodes, with the exact same weight in our cases, the staff didn’t bat an eyelid. They just printed our passes and waved us through. It turns out I’m not the only one at the mercy of check-in desk moods. Over on TikTok, passengers have shared similar stories, with one user hitting the nail on the head: “Must just be luck of the draw whether you get someone having a good or bad day.” When contacted, Jet2 doubled down on their policy, stating: “Hold baggage and hand luggage allowances are separate and cannot be combined.” They described forcing me to repack as a “flexible solution.” Personally, I think the most flexible solution would have been letting my underweight luggage go into the hold as it always had. It’s all going on the same plane, after all. But no, I was left to struggle my way through to the boarding gate with a backpack, my Hello Kitty bag, and a cross-body, which was actually a pain because I was unable to assist my mum with any of her belongings. How to avoid this issue After being humiliated like that, I’d definitely stick strictly to the weight limits and not rely on the fact that you’ll get nice, understanding staff members. Thankfully, most of the Jet2 staff I’ve come across in the past have been lovely, I just got unlucky this time, but if I chose to fly with them again, I wouldn’t be relying on ‘common sense’ to prevail any longer. As one clever TikToker pointed out, a £5 digital luggage scale from Amazon can be a total lifesaver. They are spot-on and remove all the guesswork. In the future, I’ll definitely be making sure that my luggage is exactly on the allowance, or is slightly less, because I don’t want to go through that again. So, learn from my mistake and weigh your case! And do not make any assumptions that ‘it’ll be fine,’ because I thought that when my rucksack weighed significantly less, and all it got me was hot, sweaty, annoyed, and on the floor of the airport!