British leisure airline Jet2 is raising the stakes in Europe’s holiday price war by introducing free checked baggage on selected flights to Spain, Portugal, Greece, Turkey and the Canary Islands, a move aimed at cost-conscious families who have seen fees and add-ons steadily push up the final price of a sunshine break.
New Jet2 Luggage Offer Targets Europe’s Sun Belt
The new luggage allowance gives eligible customers one 22kg checked bag at no extra charge when flying on selected routes from the United Kingdom to leading Mediterranean and Atlantic holiday destinations, including mainland Spain, the Balearic and Canary Islands, Portugal’s Algarve, Greek islands and Turkish resorts. The offer is time limited and linked to specific travel windows and fare types, but its headline promise is simple: a standard sized suitcase can now travel for free on many of Jet2’s most popular summer routes.
Industry analysts say the decision is designed to appeal to travellers who increasingly compare not only headline airfares but also what is included once airport charges, luggage fees and payment surcharges are added. By folding a checked bag into the ticket price on these key leisure routes, Jet2 is betting that customers will respond to the clarity of a more “all-in” product at a time when many rival airlines have shifted aggressively towards bare-bones basic fares.
The destinations covered by the offer read like a checklist of British holiday favourites. From Malaga, Alicante and the Costa del Sol to the islands of Tenerife, Lanzarote and Gran Canaria, as well as Faro in Portugal, Greek hotspots such as Crete, Rhodes and Corfu and Turkish resorts around Dalaman and Antalya, the free-bag deal is focused squarely on volume leisure traffic.
Jet2 has long marketed itself as a higher-service alternative to ultra-low-cost competitors, stressing generous cabin bags and straightforward rules. Extending that positioning into checked luggage, even on a selective basis, marks a significant escalation in its efforts to win repeat business from families and groups booking annual sunshine getaways.
How the Free Bag Allowance Works
Under the updated policy, qualifying passengers on eligible flights receive a checked baggage allowance of 22kg without paying an additional bag fee, alongside the airline’s existing 10kg cabin bag provision. The free bag is tied to each paying customer on the booking, excluding infants travelling on a lap ticket, and must comply with Jet2’s standard size and weight limits for hold luggage.
The rules mirror Jet2’s broader baggage framework in several respects. No single item can exceed 32kg for handling and safety reasons, and travellers who exceed their overall allowance face excess weight charges, typically levied per kilogram at the airport. Customers who want to check more than one suitcase can still do so, but additional bags incur the usual per-piece fee on top of any free allowance that may apply to the first bag.
In practice, the greatest savings will be felt by customers who previously relied on one checked case per person. For a family of four heading to a Spanish or Greek resort during peak school holiday weeks, avoiding the cost of four checked bags in each direction can remove a substantial sum from the total holiday bill. Travel agents report that baggage charges now feature prominently in customer enquiries and that inclusive deals are increasingly used as a differentiator when comparing airlines.
While the airline has not publicly disclosed the full fare grid behind the offer, it has signalled that the free-bag allowance is being used both as a promotional lever in sales campaigns and as a structural benefit on certain package holiday products. Passengers booking flight-only itineraries are being urged to check the fare conditions carefully at the time of purchase to confirm whether a free hold bag is included.
Families and Package Holidaymakers Stand to Gain Most
The timing and scope of the new luggage allowance underlines Jet2’s focus on family and package holiday markets. The airline and its sister tour operator Jet2holidays have prioritised routes to Spain, Portugal, Greece, Turkey and the Canary Islands for several seasons, significantly expanding capacity to major resort areas and villa destinations that attract longer stays and higher average spend.
Families, in particular, are highly sensitive to baggage costs. Travelling with children often means packing bulky items, from beach toys and snorkelling gear to extra clothing for changeable conditions. For parents who already pay a premium to travel during school breaks, the ability to check a standard suitcase without incurring a separate fee can influence which airline or tour operator they ultimately choose.
The new checked bag offer builds on a series of family-focused changes from Jet2 in recent years, including enhanced allowances for infants’ equipment and additional weight allocations that can be folded into an accompanying adult’s suitcase. Together, these measures are marketed as part of a wider effort to reduce friction for parents at the airport and at the check-in desk, differentiating the brand from carriers that charge separately for almost every extra.
Travel agents say that for package customers, the message is especially powerful because the free bag aligns with the sector’s traditional promise of a single up-front price covering flights, accommodation and transfers. As operators work to highlight the total cost of a holiday rather than just the lead-in fare, inclusive luggage on core sun routes is likely to feature heavily in brochures and promotional campaigns targeting summer 2026 and beyond.
Competitive Pressure in a Fee-Heavy Market
Jet2’s luggage move comes at a moment when baggage fees are under fresh scrutiny across Europe. Full-service and low-cost airlines alike have experimented with complex fare bundles, charging customers separately for everything from cabin bags to seat selection, while some carriers have introduced new surcharges on what they regard as irregular or hard-to-handle baggage types.
Consumer groups argue that these additional fees often make it harder for travellers to compare prices and can leave customers feeling ambushed at the airport. Against that backdrop, an airline promising a clear, free checked bag on popular leisure routes can stand out, especially to customers who have been caught out by bag size or weight rules on previous trips.
Industry observers note that Jet2 has historically used inclusions rather than exclusions as part of its brand strategy, offering relatively generous cabin baggage and emphasising transparent pricing in marketing campaigns. The extension of that logic to checked bags on certain routes places pressure on rivals that rely heavily on ancillary revenue from luggage charges to support low base fares.
Whether competing airlines respond with similar promotions remains to be seen. For now, the move underlines an emerging divide in the European leisure market between carriers that lean into stripped-back, pay-for-everything models and those that seek to win loyalty with a more traditional, inclusive approach, even if headline ticket prices appear marginally higher at first glance.
What Passengers Need to Know Before They Pack
Despite the simplicity of the “free bag” headline, travel experts warn that customers still need to pay close attention to the fine print of any fare they book. The inclusion of a checked bag can vary not only by route, but also by travel date, point of sale and whether the ticket is sold as part of a package holiday or as a flight-only booking.
Passengers are being urged to review their booking confirmation carefully to see exactly what baggage is included and at what weight limits. If a reservation lists only a cabin bag, any hold luggage checked in at the airport will attract the standard baggage charge, even on routes covered by the new promotion. Adding a bag online in advance usually costs less than waiting until check-in, so travellers who know they will need a suitcase are advised to plan ahead.
It is also important to distinguish between standard checked suitcases and special or oversize items. Sports equipment such as golf bags, surfboards or bicycles, as well as musical instruments and other large objects, typically fall under separate rules and may attract handling fees even if a passenger has a free standard bag included with their ticket. These items often need to be pre-booked and may be refused carriage if the aircraft’s hold is already at capacity.
Frequent travellers recommend weighing bags at home before departure to avoid surprises at the airport. Even with a free 22kg allowance, exceeding that limit can trigger per-kilogram charges, and redistributing items between bags at the check-in desk can be stressful, particularly for families travelling with children.
Spain, Portugal, Greece, Turkey and the Canaries in Focus
The geographical focus of Jet2’s new allowance highlights the continuing strength of traditional sun and beach destinations. Spain, Portugal, Greece, Turkey and the Canary Islands remain at the heart of British outbound leisure travel, benefitting from short flight times, extensive resort infrastructure and a wide spread of accommodation options, from large all-inclusive hotels to self-catering villas.
By concentrating the free bag offer on these regions, Jet2 is effectively reinforcing its commitment to the core holiday corridors that deliver the bulk of its passenger numbers each year. The airline’s schedule already includes high frequencies from UK bases such as Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds Bradford and London Stansted to major Spanish and Portuguese gateways, as well as dense summer timetables to Greek islands and Turkish coastal airports.
For local tourism industries, a more attractive baggage proposition from a major UK leisure carrier can support ongoing efforts to lengthen holiday seasons and encourage longer stays. Travellers are more likely to pack for extended breaks when they are not paying per bag, which can in turn drive higher spending in resorts, particularly among families and multi-generational groups.
Destination marketing organisations in Spain, Portugal and Greece have been working closely with carriers and tour operators to secure capacity and promotional support for shoulder-season travel in spring and autumn. A competitive, inclusive baggage offer on flights serving those periods could play into that strategy by nudging customers to book slightly off-peak, when resorts are less crowded and prices on the ground are lower.
Holiday Budgeting in an Era of Hidden Costs
The rise of ancillary fees has changed the way many travellers plan and budget for holidays. Where once a single ticket price covered most elements of the flight, customers are now accustomed to factoring in extra costs for everything from bags and seat reservations to food and payment method surcharges. Jet2’s decision to headline free checked luggage on certain routes is being interpreted by some analysts as an attempt to reset expectations about what a standard leisure fare should include.
For households facing higher living costs, visibility over the final bill is increasingly important. Surveys regularly find that unexpected extras at the airport are among the most frustrating aspects of air travel, particularly when they involve families who have little flexibility to repack or leave items behind. A clear statement that a normal suitcase is included in the published fare can therefore serve as a powerful marketing message, even if the bare ticket price is marginally higher than that of a rival.
Budgeting tools provided by tour operators and online travel agents are also adapting, often displaying the total cost of a trip including luggage, transfers and resort taxes. In that environment, an airline that bundles in a key element such as checked baggage on major leisure routes can appear more competitive once all extras are counted, even if headline fares look similar at first glance.
Travel planners advise that, when comparing options, customers should look at the full, end-to-end cost of a holiday, rather than focusing solely on the flight price. Accommodation, transfers, baggage and local taxes together determine the real budget, and inclusive offers like Jet2’s new luggage allowance can meaningfully shift that calculation in favour of one carrier over another.
What Comes Next for Airline Baggage Policies
Jet2’s move to include a free checked bag on selected sun routes adds a fresh twist to an already fluid landscape of airline baggage policies. As carriers continue to experiment with fare families, subscription models and bundled services, travellers can expect further changes in how luggage is priced and presented.
Some industry watchers predict that more airlines will revisit the balance between unbundled and inclusive pricing as competition intensifies on key leisure routes. While charging separately for bags remains an important revenue stream, there is growing recognition that aggressive fee structures can damage customer satisfaction and brand loyalty, particularly in markets where multiple carriers serve the same destinations.
For now, Jet2 appears to be staking out a position that blends competitive fares with a more traditional understanding of what a holiday flight should include. By targeting Spain, Portugal, Greece, Turkey and the Canary Islands with its latest baggage offer, the airline is not only responding to customer concerns about hidden costs, but also seeking to lock in its status as a preferred carrier for Britain’s most popular sunshine escapes.
As the summer booking season continues, the uptake of the free bag allowance will be closely watched by rivals and regulators alike. If customers respond strongly, it could spur a broader rethink of how airlines across Europe structure and communicate the true cost of taking a suitcase to the sun.