A passenger ate 30kg of oranges to avoid paying for baggage
To avoid paying for checked baggage, one passenger ate 30 kg of oranges in less than half an hour. No, [...]
To avoid paying for checked baggage, one passenger ate 30 kg of oranges In less than half an hour. No, this is not fake news. It actually happened for real. Exactly in China, last January.
In this article:
Too easy, wearing more clothes when the luggage weighs too much. This we have all done. Gorging on food, on the other hand, is definitely not usual.
The story of the passenger who ate 30 kg of oranges
Theater of the affair theKunming Airport, in the southwestern province of Yunnan.
One man ate 30 kilograms of oranges in about 30 minutes to avoid paying the 300 yuan (about 38 euros) the airline was asking him to put the fruit in the cargo hold. A kind of surcharge for the additional baggage, which he could not afford.
Mr. Wang, together with his colleagues, had purchased a 30 kg crate of oranges for 50 yuan (6 euros) during a business trip to Kunming. At the check-in counter for the return flight, however, they found they had to pay 10 yuan per kilogram, for a total of 300 yuan. Too much, they thought. So, the group of colleagues decided not to board them. And to eat all that fruit, in the 20-30 minutes they still had before check-in. Truth be told, it was almost only Mr. Wang who ate the 30 kilograms of oranges (before the astonished eyes of the other passengers).
Unfortunately, the choice was not without consequences. Throughout the flight, the stomachache gave him no respite. And he promised that he would never, ever eat another orange in his life.
The new hand luggage rules for low-cost airlines
What does the story of the man who ate 30 kg of oranges teach? That one should not be caught unprepared, when flying with a low-cost airline. Surcharges, for extra luggage, can be really expensive.
Ryanair
With Ryanair, one small carry-on bag is always free: a purse or laptop bag (25x40x45 cm), or a backpack (40x25x20 cm). The "Priority and 2 carry-on luggage" option allows you to bring two pieces of luggage into the cabin: one bag or backpack to be stored under the seat in front and one piece of luggage of up to 10 kg to put in the overhead compartment (55x40x20 cm). For 8 euros, you can instead buy a 10 kg checked-in baggage to hand over at the check-in counter. In case you arrive at the gate with extra luggage, or a bag/backpack that is too large, you will have to pay 25 €.
easyJet
From Feb. 10, easyJet rules have changed. All passengers are now allowed to bring one small piece of luggage (45x36x20 cm) into the cabin with no weight limit. Booking an Up front or Extra legroom seat entitles you to one extra piece of luggage, with a maximum size of 56x45x25 cm. EasyJet Plus cardholders and Flexi fare customers, being entitled to book Up front or Extra legroom seats, have the same right.
Wizz
All passengers flying with Wizz can bring on board a carry-on baggage weighing up to 10 kg (43x20x20 cm). If you purchase the Wizz Priority option (€5.00 - €39.20 online or through Wizz Air's call center, €20 at the airport), you can fly with a 55x40x23 cm trolley. Checked-in baggage is always charged.