A GROUP of passengers were left both furious and baffled after they were told to pay extra for their hand luggage, even though it clearly fit in the bag size checkers at the airport.
The women were flying with budget airline Frontier, who enforce a strict hand luggage size policy, as most carriers do.
They were told they would have to pay extra for their bags, with Frontier’s gate staff saying they were too big to take one board.
One of the passengers, Dyana Villa (@dyanavilla.tv) filmed as much of the dispute as she could, to show everyone how easily their bags fit in the size checkers.
She shared the footage in a series of videos on Tiktok and claimed the airline were trying to charge $100 (£84) for the apparently “oversized” bags.
The women are seen repeatedly taking it in turns to slide their bags into the “personal item” bag size checker, with no real difficulty.
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However, the airline’s gate staff disputed it, with one clearly telling the women that they were “pushing” their bags down to make them fit.
Collectively, the videos have amassed more than three million views, with people shocked by what the gate staff were demanding.
One said: “Frontier employees are on a power trip. These fees are absurd.”
Another wrote: “I need a frontier employee to explain why they hound this so much?”
A third added: “I’m confused… like, how did they justify this after you showed it fit?!”
A Frontier spokesperson told Sun Online Travel: “The video fails to show that the customer using the sizer box had an additional carry-on bag.
“Each customer is allowed one free personal item that must fit within the smaller sizer box. This customer had more than one bag and they were not able to combine them into a single bag that fit in the personal item box.
“The second customer’s bag did not fit into the free personal item sizer box without removing much of its contents.
“Most customers pay for their bags in advance, in accordance with our policies, and we provide multiple reminders and opportunities to do so at a lower price in advance of departure.
“Allowing these customers to board without paying would be inequitable to every other customer who was already onboard with paid bags.”
Frontier have been accused of charging people for luggage that easily fits their size checkers before.
In a video on Tiktok, the passenger who posts as @cubsracingsociety said: “Frontier is checking everyone’s bags to make sure they fit in the little box.
“If it doesn’t fit, then you have to pay $100 (£84).
“It’s dumb because you’re going to carry the bag on the plane anyways, you just have to pay if it’s a few inches bigger.”
The man then showed a fellow passenger slipping his bag easily into the size checker, only for him to then be fined for “shoving” his luggage into the compartment.
Other airlines are less strict about whether the bags can be shoved in the size checker or not.
Not too long ago, an easyJet passenger was filmed stamping on his suitcase to make sure it fit into metal frame.
The man went into great trouble to avoid having to pay for checked-in baggage and was determined to show that his bag was the right size for the cabin.
The incident was caught on video and shared to Tiktok, where it has been seen over 24million times.
Other passengers were heard cracking up in the background as the exasperated man continued to stamp and shove at his suitcase, only for the easyJet staff member to keep pointing out areas where his bag stuck out of the size checker.
Eventually, the man succeeded in convincing the staff member that his bag was the right size, only for it to then be lodged inside the bag checker.
The man then became even more frustrated as he realised he has to try and get his suitcase back out again.
Meanwhile, this woman dodged Ryanair’s hand luggage rules by sneaking a bag in under her coat.
And these Ryanair passengers were filmed snapping the wheels off their suitcases to make sure they fit.
