Richard Deakin, a security consultant from Halesowen, West Midlands, has sparked debate after sharing footage on TikTok of his conversation with easyJet staff at Luton Airport
A tourist has accused easyJet of using a “money-making tactic” following a dispute about his baggage.
Footage on social media shows easyJet staff ask Richard Deakin, 37, to repeatedly put his luggage in the sizer as he checked in at Luton Airport. He claimed the suitcase – his hand luggage – fit easily but he said staff continued to ask him to pop it in the sizer. Richard asked a fellow passenger to film him doing so to “prove a point,” a clip he later shared on TikTok where it has been watched by more than 106,000 people.
He feared he was going to miss his flight to Málaga, Spain for his four-night break and became “quite angry” at staff’s insistence. He eventually made the plane, but is now speaking out to encourage people not to simply stump up cash if their luggage is within the dimensions.
The security consultant said: “If I hadn’t been so persistent they would’ve forced me to pay that fine. It’s a money-making tactic. Before I put [the bag] in I was confident it was the right size because I’d measured it and weighed it.”
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Richard, who is from Halesowen, West Midlands, added: “At first it’s a bit of a struggle pushing it down but then it just slides in and goes all the way down to the bottom.
“It was hard to get in because I had several tubs of gravy granules because in Spain it’s quite expensive. I was quite angry. I did know I could just take a few things out of my bag but I was being a bit pedantic out of principle. If you want to pick on me, I don’t mind having a debate about it.
“After that video was recorded a manager came down and asked me to do it again. This is the bit that really [annoyed] me. I said ‘it’s just been witnessed by six of your staff who said it’s okay and this is the video’. He said ‘I need to see it again’.
“I’d done it once or twice before the video, and [then] two times with managers. It looked like the flight was going to take off and I was scared at that point. The ego got put away in the back pocket really quick. I took the book and the charger pack out and put [the bag] in [the sizer].”
Richard had enough clothing in his bag for the short stay last month but, despite measuring the little bag at home, came into difficulty at check-in. He admitted it was “hard to get in” but claimed it fit clearly in the end.
The security professional added: “So many people wouldn’t have been so persistent and fallen right into the trap. There are people that won’t stand up and talk and ask the question so they’re getting charged.
“While I understand the rules, it’s frustrating to pay for a bag that was underweight and would have been placed in the same overhead locker as everyone else’s.”
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The tourist’s social media clip has divided opinion with some criticising him for “yelling” at employees. Some, though, users jumped to Richard’s defence in the comments.
One user wrote: “EasyJet should be ashamed.” Another user commented: “I will avoid EasyJet at all costs. It’s a greedy, uncaring airline. Shame on them.” A third added: “If it fits, it doesn’t matter if it’s easy or not.”
Other users criticised Richard for his demeanour. One user wrote: “Why are you yelling at them?” Another commented: “Why are you shouting at them for doing their jobs?” A third user commented: “That bag is too big. Simple as that.”
An easyJet spokesman said: “We have a well understood bag policy and customers are only charged if their bags are too large, in fairness to customers who have paid to bring larger bags, and we do not tolerate aggressive or threatening behaviour towards our ground crew. Once Mr Deakin was able to fit his bag in the gauge, he was not charged and was able to board.”