The Tea: easyJet’s £5.99 Bag Myth Busted

Spoiler Alert: Your carry-on probably costs more than your lunch.

Grab your passports and hold onto your wallets traveler's because the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has just grounded one of easyJet’s favourite marketing claims.

If you’ve been browsing flights recently, you might have seen a tempting little promise from our orange-hued friends in the sky: "Large cabin bag from £5.99."

Sounds like a steal, right? A venti latte costs about that much these days. But according to the UK’s advertising watchdog, that price tag was less "takeoff" and more "dream on."

The Investigation: Down the Rabbit Hole 🐰

The drama started when the consumer champions at Which? decided to put that £5.99 claim to the test. They went full detective mode, checking the baggage fees on over 500 flights.

The result? They couldn't find a single bag available for £5.99. Not one. Nada. Zilch.

In fact, the cheapest option they found was £23.49, with the average price hovering closer to a painful £30. That is technically "from" £5.99 in the same way that a trip to the moon is "from", a walk to the shops, technically true if you stretch the definition of distance, but mostly just misleading.

The Ruling: ASA Says "Girl, Bye"

The ASA slammed down the gavel (or the ban hammer) yesterday, ruling that the ad was misleading. They stated that easyJet failed to prove that the £5.99 price was "widely available" on a meaningful number of routes. The airline has now been told to scrap the claim. So, say goodbye to the fantasy of pocket-change baggage fees.

What This Means For You (The "Wonderland" Takeaway)

Look, we love a cheap flight as much as anyone. But we hate surprise math at the checkout. Here is your reality check for booking budget flights in 2026:

• Ignore the "From" Prices: In the travel world, "From" is usually code for "One seat, on a Tuesday in November, at 4 AM."

• Budget for the Bag: When comparing flights, mentally add £30-£40 to that ticket price immediately if you plan on bringing anything larger than a backpack.

• The "Drip Pricing" Trap: Airlines are masters of showing you a low fare and then dripping in costs for seats, bags, and breathing room.

The Wonderland Promise

At Wonderland Travel, we prefer our surprises to be "Oh look, a hidden waterfall!" rather than "Oh look, a hidden fee!"

We keep it real. No phantom £5 bag fees, no rabbit holes of confusion. Just good trips and honest tips.

Stay cheeky, traveler's!

Your Turn

Have you ever been stung by a "budget" flight that ended up costing more than a legacy carrier? Tweet (or X) us your horror stories @WLT_Group