KLM to charge passengers for bringing suitcases on long-haul flights

KLM passengers will soon have to pay to bring a suitcase on almost all KLM flights. After scrapping free checked baggage for flights within Europe and to the United States, the Dutch airline is now also implementing this measure for its other destinations, Luchtvaartnieuws reports.

The airline is introducing a new fare structure, where travelers can choose between a Light, Standard or Flex ticket. Checked luggage is still included in the Flex and Standard tickets, as well as for people flying Business Class and Flying Blue members with a high status. But travelers who opt for a Light ticket will have to pay 50 euros to check a suitcase. The plus side is that the Light ticket is also cheaper than the other variants.

With this measure, KLM hopes to better compete with budget-airlines like Level and Norwegian. "We are entering the market in a sharper way", KLM CEO Harm Kreulen said, according to the aviation news site. "Within Europe and to America we gradually removed checked baggage from the lowest prices. Now the rest of the world follows, with a few exceptions", he said to the Telegraaf.