Which budget airline is cheapest for taking a suitcase in the hold? We compare them
Check the prices of hold luggage from Ryanair, EasyJet, British Airways, Jet2 and the rest
Hold luggage is the most expensive hidden cost on a low air fare ticket.
Unlike business travellers and couples, most families need to take at least one suitcase in the hold to carry all the extra bits and pieces children need.
So we decided to test all the major airlines to find out the true cost of a suitcase.
Our search assumed one 20kg or nearest equivalent bag on a short haul flight to Spain or equivalent distance travelling in June.
Is Ryanair among the cheapest?
The results
| Airline | Bag weight | Price | Cost per kg |
| Ryanair | 20kg | £25 | £1.25 |
| Flybe | 23kg | £24 | £1.04 |
| Jet2 | 22kg | £26 | £1.18 |
| EasyJet | 23kg | £24.61 | £1.07 |
| British Airways | 20kg | £30 | £1.50 |
| Norwegian | 20kg | £20 | £1 |
| Thomas Cook | 23kg | £20 | £0.86 |
| TUI | 20kg | £22 | £1.10 |
In conclusion
Our winner was Thomas Cook, followed by Norwegian.
What our sample shows is the airlines have clearly come to a view of a rough price they can get away with for luggage.
They aren’t really competing on this cost, unlike the headline fare price.
The luggage price per kilo is fairly similar with the overall price ranging from £19 to £26.
Some of the airlines offer deals for families and cheaper luggage for children, for example, so always do your own check.
There are special deals for buying luggage, seats and meals which could reduce the overall cos too.
See our hand luggage comparison guide here.
*The most comprehensive chart on airlines is this one from the Civil Aviation Authority.