Conor notes Ryanair's announcement that it is to increase the cost of putting a bag into the hold of its aircraft from €6 to €9 per bag. Quoting a Ryanair spokesman, he says that the company are doing this to "encourage" its customers to avoid bringing checked baggage when they fly, and wonders if Aer Lingus will follow suit.

Fewer bags means that airlines have less to pay for baggage handling services. In theory it should also mean a quicker turnaround, but as I learned last Monday morning, this might not actually be the case.

I was on the 06.40 Aer Lingus red-eye from Dublin to Heathrow. As the first London-bound flight of the week, it's also one of the busiest. I was going over for just one night, so I brought one bag with me, which held my overnight stuff in one compartment and everything I needed for my two days' work in another. No need to check anything in. But of course, about 90% of my fellow flyers had the same idea. The overhead lockers were stuffed before even half the passengers had boarded. Luckily, I was able to fit my bag under the seat in front of me, but others were attempting to board with what could only be described as suitcases. It was a bloody mess, and of course, we were delayed taking off because of it. We should have landed in Heathrow at 08.05, but it was nearly 08.30 before we touched down.

How long before airlines start to charge for cabin baggage too, I wonder?