ryanair baggage
Said it before, and I'll say it again, EZY allow one briefcase and one laptop computer as hand baggage. As far as I understand this, the total combined weight may be over the limit, but only due to the extra weight of the laptop. That means, provided your briefcase is under the limit, you can take on board a laptop as well. It is in the small print, honest. I think they choose to not advertise this, as it may encourage idiots. Clearly a degree of common sense is required.
This was definitely the case around six months ago, but check yourself - if you ask the staff, you may be told no. On one occasion, I actually had to point to the small print on my paper receipt. Maybe it is on their website.
In many ways it makes sense, as the days are over where the average 'laptop' is a huge beast weighing 5kg. In addition, many travellers like this are travelling without any hold luggage at all.
A bit of sanity from easyjet?
On another point, I noticed the comment above regarding the fire at Manchester, and the fact that many people died due to a failure to evacuate. If I recall correctly, the main reason this failure to evacuate was attributed to was due to extra rows of seats which were placed at the wing exits. This led to the removal of said extra rows at overwing exits for many years, but have now returned in Easyjet and Ryanair and some other airlines. No doubt they will not be removed again until we have a similar catstrophe with a packed plane on the runway. The amount of space that is being left at wing exit rows is nothing short of criminal, especially on thos aircraft where the procedure is to remove the window inwards. I would happily pay an extra 10 quid to get the exit rows cleared again. No doubt we'll have to wait for a few deaths.