Creativity knows no bounds in aviation - at least when it comes to paying extra for parts of a trip.
Many airlines charge extra for customer requests to be one of the first to board, to reserve a specific seat, to get more legroom or to be served a meal on shorter flights.
Timo Kotowski
Editor in Business.
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The airline Condor is now trying to open up another source of income: In the future, space can be reserved there for handbags, notebooks or backpacks – mind you, not on a seat, but in the hand luggage compartment.
The square centimeters of private storage space for the passenger should cost at least 9.99 euros.
Everyday problem or source of income
From the point of view of Condor boss Ralf Teckentrup, the holiday airline is solving an everyday problem in aviation: "Many travelers are familiar with this: You are sitting at the gate, boarding begins and you wonder whether your own hand luggage will still find a place in the overhead compartment." Condor guests can now look forward to this "quite relaxed" and "reserve their own luggage compartment" online in advance.
Ideally, this would be directly above the specially reserved seat. This will be possible from November 1 on long-distance routes that Condor sends A330 aircraft on.
The fact that more and more passengers, who do not want to wait long or even in vain at the baggage carousel after landing, carry bags directly to their seat on the plane has actually become a problem when flying.
However, the booking option should also aim to make money not only with seats, but also with storage compartments.
Condor is probably the first airline with compartments that can be reserved for a fee, but others are already charging for the mini trolley case in hand luggage.
If you fly with Eurowings in the “Basic” fare, you have to pay 15 euros for anything larger than a laptop bag.
Easyjet and Ryanair handle it similarly.
Concerned customers are already wondering how long the flight attendant's smile on boarding will be included in the standard ticket price.