Airline introduces fees for larger items of hand luggage HAND luggage fees may be introduced by other airlines after Hungarian carrier Wizz Air became the first in Europe to charge for larger items, flight comparison website Skyscanner warned passengers today. Wizz, whose routes include Prestwick to Warsaw and Gdansk, is charging fliers £9 for carrying cases on board larger than 42x32x25cm - the size of a laptop case. Hand luggage up to those dimensions, and goods bought after security at airports such as duty free, can continue to be carried free. The charge was introduced for all new bookings from yesterday, and applies to flights from 24 October. Wizz said all fares will be cut by £4.50 as a result. However, Edinburgh-based Skyscanner said: "More airlines may consider these additional charges in the future." Spokesman Sam Poullain added: "Travellers are prepared to turn their backs on airlines who want to charge for luggage carried on board with them. Nine out of ten say the charges are unfair and would drive them to use another airline. Flybe became the first airline in the UK to charge passengers to check in luggage seven years ago, which was swiftly followed by many other carriers. Wizz said its move was "to eliminate the excessive number of bags carried on board, overcrowding aircraft cabins," which it said also caused delays. The airline said a trial on the Luton-Katowice route had seen 20 per cent fewer large bags on board. Wizz Air chief financial officer Michael Powell said: "With the vast majority of passengers willing to bring smaller bags on board, we are now the first European carrier to eliminate a chronic problem in the airline industry."