EasyJet's no-frills policy extends to flight's baggage

Nearly 200 angry easyJet passengers on a cut-price trip to Italy did not expect "no frills" to mean "no baggage". Travellers were left without their luggage after the company insisted that the flight should take off with an empty hold.

Customers besieged check-in desks at the airport in Milan after learning that their flight had arrived without their bags. Some passengers are now demanding compensation from the airline.

The problem arose when there was a power cut at Gatwick airport last week just as the baggage was due to be loaded on to the Airbus flight to Milan Linate airport.

The airline had to choose between delaying the flight and missing its slot on the runway at the busy airport or leaving without the bags.

The passengers arrived in Milan to find nobody from easyJet at the airport.

The airline has now apologised to the passengers after the bags were sent out on the same flight the following day.

One passenger said: "It was a fiasco. How can an airline leave the baggage from an entire flight in England?

"We were going for a week-long trip to Lake Garda, and had to buy clothes out there for the first two days of the trip until we eventually got our bags.

"It was chaos when we arrived at the airport.

"There was nobody from easyJet to explain what was going on. Everyone went to the local agents, but they were not much use. We shall be putting in a claim for compensation because this ruined the first two days of our holiday.

"I know easyJet are supposed to be a no-frills airline, but you don't expect them to be a no-baggage airline as well."

An easyJet spokesman said: "Due to a power cut at Gatwick airport on 23 April, all airlines suffered delay because of the failure on the baggage belt system.

"As there was no progress on the power being restored and the baggage belts being operational again, easyJet took the decision to operate the flight to Milan Linate to reduce the delay and minimise disruption to its passengers. Although the incident was outside of the control of the airline, easyJet would like to apologies for any inconvenience caused."