About 2 years ago, the travel story that was all over the news was how certain airlines were paying gate agents a commission to “catch” passengers who were “trying to sneak” on carry-on bags that were larger than what they allowed. This is said to be a quote from a Frontier Airlines flight attendant at the time (edited for adult language):

“There’s a story behind it. Our gate agents don’t actually work for us. They are outsourced and they get paid like s**t and they don’t give a s**t so for years, they just let anyone get on with any bag they want in spite of what the published rules were, so instead of losing all that money, the airline decided to incentivize it by giving them a $10 commission on everybody they charged for. That’s why they’re being Nazis about it at the gate.

“To be clear, the restrictions on carry-on luggage have always been there, but for years they were never ever enforced by our gate agents. So for years people would fly on us regularly got used to the fact they can bring everything on. flight attendants hate this new policy because everyone comes on board super pi**ed and we have to deal with it.”

At the time, it got so bad that at least one luggage company posted a warning, stating that Frontier charged one of their customers to check his/her personal item bag as a carry-on, despite fitting perfectly inside the measuring bin.

Of course, it wasn’t just Frontier – Spirit is another airline that became well known for incentivizing their workers.

How Much Did They Pay Them?

According to a Business Insider expose at the end of last year, a Senate report found that between 2022 and 2023, the two airlines paid workers $26 million in bonuses “to catch passengers allegedly not following airline bag policies, often forcing those passengers to pay a bag fee.”

But there were other commissions, too:

Frontier:

Domestic flights:

• $10 for each oversized carry-on bag purchased at the gate or online within 60 minutes of the passenger’s departure time
• $3 for carry-ons bought at the airport ticket counter
• $3 for selling extra-legroom seats

International flights:

• $1 for bags charged at the gate or online
• $0.50 for carry-ons bought at the ticket counter

Spirit:

• $5 for charging oversize carry-on bags at the gate
• $5 for selling the Big Front Seat
• $4 for charging overweight checked bags
• $2 for selling exit-row seats

The report didn’t specify if Spirit’s bonus amounts varied for domestic vs. international flights.

Oh, and certain managers at both Frontier and Spirit also earned a commission if their airport or region met a specific monthly revenue goals tied to these ancillary fees. But these bonuses were contingent on maintaining positive customer experience ratings and avoiding excessive complaints.

Nice.

Of course, both airlines denied any abuse of the programs. They both emphasized their goal was to ensure compliance with baggage policies and fairness for passengers who pre-paid for luggage. Frontier explained that it was merely trying to prevent passengers from taking advantage of services they didn’t pay for, while Spirit defended their model as part of its mission to make air travel more affordable through unbundled fares.

At the time (December 2024), Spirit made the following statement to Business Insider:

We respectfully disagree with numerous statements and conclusions contained in the report. With that in mind, we believe it’s time to come together and discuss meaningful initiatives that would even the playing field between larger and smaller airlines to benefit all travelers.

To my knowledge, no such discussions have taken place. However, I can tell you that during both of our flights on Spirit Airlines in 2025, the gate agents were checking passengers’ carry-on bags to make sure they fit in the sizer. I have no doubt their shenanigans continue.

Meanwhile, over in Europe…

If you thought these commissions and bonuses were only in the United States, you’d be incorrect.

Ryanair, then and now

Back in 2011, the Daily Mail reported that bag handlers who worked for Servisair, a ground handling company that provided non-professional workers for airlines throughout Europe, were getting paid £5 for every ten passengers they can ask to pay to check in bags deemed too big to carry on to aircraft (said passengers at the time were required to pay £40 if they had to gate check their bag because it was too big).

Servisair fully admitted this was what they were doing, saying the arrangement wouldn’t cost travelers any extra and was aimed at guaranteeing the airline a smooth process.

At the time, Ryanair also said they were aware of this plan. Then-spokesman Stephen McNamara told the Daily Mail that bonus arrangements were up to baggage-handling firms at airports, rather than the airline.

And then…plot twist! In 2014, Serviceair was acquired and merged into Swissport. From Swissport’s website:

Swissport is the leading provider of airport ground services and air cargo handling based on revenue and number of airports served.

Swissport currently has passenger services at 17 airports in the UK and its staff are stationed at more than 200 airports worldwide. The aviation company provides ground handling services for Ryanair, easyJet, Tui, Lufthansa and Vueling.

Stay with me here…

Fast forward to April 2025, and the Irish Mirror comes up with this headline:

The first paragraph of the article says:

Ryanair has firmly dismissed rumours claiming its staff are paid commission for catching oversized carry-on luggage, following a growing number of complaints from passengers hit with hefty fines at the departure gate.

So in 2011, Ryanair knew what Serviceair was doing and was fine with it. In 2025, Ryanair, which now (or still, depending on how you look at it) partners with Swissport, says none of its workers receive a commission for catching oversized baggage. Got it. (well, TECHNICALLY the people getting the bonuses are Swissport employees, not Ryanair employees. Is that what they mean?)

And Now: What easyJet’s Doing

Did you think Ryanair was the only airline involved in this stuff? Of course you didn’t.

This past weekend, The Times reported that since 2023, Swissport employees (there’s that “Swissport” again) working at seven UK airports have been taking advantage of the “easyJet gate bag revenue incentive,” which continues to this day. The program is “intended to reward agents doing the right thing” and would result in “payments made directly to employees”.

They’ve been getting paid £1.20 (£1 after tax) for every carry-on bag taken at the gate because it’s been deemed to be too large.

easyJet is a UK-based ultra low-cost carrier. Each passenger can bring one personal bag onto the plane for free, but bags that are to go in the overhead must be paid for; the price varies. And, of course, if it’s over whatever size the airline decrees, it has to be gate checked.

How to avoid these charges

No one wants to gate check their carry-on bag, especially if they’ll have to pay for it. Each airline has its carry-on requirements on their websites; make sure you are WELL within that size, including wheels, handle and heck, even your ID tag.

And if you’re traveling in Europe, pay attention to their rules for weight of carry-ons, as well.

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