Originally Posted by
brian_dromey
I don't think anyone is being forced to do anything. FR travel essentially comes with no baggage allowance, either in the hold or in the cabin. Personally, I think the current system works well, but it must be costing FR money to have ground staff handling all those bags tagged at the gate. I thought that the ideal would be allowing passengers to check-in their hand luggage, in effect this is what is happening from Nov 1. Except it is not 'free'.
Easyjet
Go Hands Free costs £12 return, or £5 one way, and is a good system. It's a popular solution for Easyjet, and it almost eliminates the chaos of a couple of idiots shuffling up and down the packed cabin hunting for cabin overhead baggage space when doors need locking and push back needed to make slot times.
Ryanair are trying to do something similar now.