Passengers pre-booking luggage will be charged a lower rate

Flybe launched its Fair Deal on Baggage initiative on Friday, aimed at making it fairer for all customers.

There will be a �2 charge from early February for baggage carried as cargo, while hand luggage is free and the allowance will be doubled to 10kg.

At the same time, the airline will reduce all its ticket prices by �1.

Faster turnaround

The scheme will mean people flying from the Channel Islands with one large suitcase will have to pay between �4 and �8 per round trip.

Items booked in advance will cost �2, while those checked in at the airport will cost �4.

Jim French, company's chairman and chief executive, said the move meant passengers will be paying for the service they use.

He said: "With passengers pre-booking baggage we will be able to accurately predict the volume of baggage to be carried allowing us to handle flights with exactly the right levels of resource.

"This will speed up turnaround times, reduce costs and provide us with much greater operational flexibility. "