Aer Lingus is to charge passengers for checked-in baggage on short-haul routes as it follows Ryanair in encouraging passengers to use its online check-in facility.
A fee of €4 per bag will apply if booked in advance online, while a fee of €8 per bag will apply if checked in at the airport. The fees will be effective for bookings made after August 8th for travel after September 5th.
The 20-kilogramme allowance for checked baggage on short-haul will be retained, while long-haul customers get a new allowance of 36 kilogrammes.
According to Enda Corneille, commercial director of Aer Lingus, baggage charges are becoming standard in the competitive short-haul sector.
He said the new baggage policy will enable the airline to save costs as a result of lower handling fees at airports and that these savings will ultimately be passed on to the passenger in the form of lower fares.
But Consumers Association chairman Michael Kilcoyne said it was an appalling move which would backfire. "They won't even give you a cup of tea for God's sake," he said. "We are actually appalled at this decision. What they are really doing is they are really treating their customers and consumers with contempt. "Aer Lingus no longer represent value for money. We do not believe there is any justification for it."