Travel expert Simon Calder issues warning to anyone flying from Manchester Airport over ‘concerning’ fees

Travel expert Simon Calder has warned passengers flying from Manchester Airport this festive season to not get caught out by “concerning” excess baggage fees. The longstanding travel journalist and broadcaster, who began his travel career working in security at Gatwick Airport, is urging travellers to double check their airline’s baggage policies so that they’re not “clobbered” by extra fees.

It comes as research conducted by insurance comparison site Confused.com found that almost a third of travellers were caught out by airline rules and had to pay extra for their excess baggage. This can range from £10 per each extra kilogram to a flat fee of £65, depending on which airline you’re flying with.

The risk of being caught out is even greater during the festive season as people are often carrying gifts with them - which can soon add extra kilos to their bags. The research found that two out of five of those caught out by excess baggage charges were because they have been carrying extra presents.

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Speaking to the Manchester Evening News, Simon Calder said: ““There are going to be more people flying in and out of Manchester airport, Liverpool, and many other airports this coming Christmas and a remarkable survey by Confused.com shows that unfortunately a lot of them will fall foul of baggage regulations. One in three according to Confused.com have ended up being clobbered for extra charges because they weren’t compliant with airline rules and two out of five of those said it’s because they were carrying extra presents, so it's really important to make sure when you're heading to the airport that