Do you feel like gate agents are unusually motivated when checking for oversized luggage? You’re not imagining things — it turns out they have a financial incentive. In the UK, it was revealed that baggage handlers at local airports receive a reward for each bag deemed too large for easyJet flights.

According to an email sent recently by the company to its staff, and first published in the Jersey Evening Post, the baggage handling company Swissport offers a £1.20 financial incentive per oversized piece of luggage on easyJet flights. Based on the correspondence, this bonus is applied at airports in Birmingham, Glasgow, Jersey, Newcastle, Belfast, and Liverpool, and has been extended to DHL Supply Chain staff working at Gatwick, Bristol, and Manchester, according to The Sunday Times.

easyJet allows passengers to bring one small piece of hand luggage free of charge, provided it does not exceed 45×36×20 cm and fits under the seat. If a bag is found to be oversized at the gate, passengers are charged a £48 fee, according to The Independent. For larger cabin bags — with maximum dimensions of 56×45×25 cm for overhead storage — the airline typically charges a fee starting at £5.99.

The leaked emails revealed that Swissport employees received rewards for enforcing these rules. One email stated: “For every oversized bag found, you are entitled to a £1.20–£1.00 bonus,” explaining that the bonus serves as a reward for employees “doing the right thing.” It added that internal tracking would be used “to identify opportunities for further support and training for any agent, but not in a negative way.”

Dean Martin, Swissport’s station manager at Glasgow Airport in Scotland, thanked staff in an email for their contribution to easyJet’s success. He reiterated the company’s commitment to enforcing policy in day-to-day operations. Swissport, a Zurich-based ground services provider, operates passenger gates at 286 airports and handles around 4 million flights annually.

The policy has sparked controversy. In a report in The Sunday Times, an anonymous employee commented, “Confronting people with excess luggage is like dealing with fare dodgers. You risk abuse or worse — imagine stopping a group of guys on a stag party and telling them I have to charge them more than the cost of their tickets just to check those bags into the hold.” A former employee added, “I had no choice but to enforce the rules on oversized luggage,” noting that his salary was around £12 per hour, leaving little choice but to inspect every bag for the bonus.

easyJet responded by stating that each ground handling partner manages employee compensation independently and that the airline does not directly oversee the bonus program. The airline explained that it communicates luggage regulations at the time of booking, on the boarding pass, and through optional upgrade offers for larger baggage. As a result, most passengers comply with the rules, with only a small number facing charges at the gate.

The bonus model has raised concerns about potential passenger frustration, further fueling debate around these incentives. Another email clarified that the company monitored “who catches how many passengers,” a measure Swissport claimed was intended to support training, not punishment.

A Swissport spokesperson responded: “We provide service to airlines and operate according to their policies, under the terms and conditions set for operational management.”

A spokesperson for DHL Supply Chain stated that “the company requires all employees to act consistently in accordance with easyJet’s baggage policy and that this is taken into account as part of their compensation,” adding, “This is how we ensure a smooth travel experience for every passenger.”