Turkey travel warning: UK holidaymakers warned as key airline, Corendon Airlines, scraps free perk with passengers charged $15

UK holidaymakers have been issued a Turkey travel warning after a key airline has scrapped a free perk. The Turkish airline, Corendon Airlines, confirmed that passengers will no longer be able to take a suitcase into the cabin for free and passengers will have to pay €15 to take any bag "larger than a small accessory" onboard.

A bag “larger than a small accessory” works out to be a 10kg bag measuring no more than 55x40x25cm. The website now states: "From May 8, 2024, every traveller aged two years and older can take one piece of hand luggage with a maximum of 40x30x20cm free of charge, provided it fits under the seat in front of you."

It explained: "Except for hand baggage the total weight of all your cargo and baggage to be carried in the cargo compartment varies according to the fare purchased and destinations you are travelling to. For reservations made through our website, the total weight of all your cargo and baggage to be carried in the cargo compartment varies according to the fare purchased."

A spokesperson told the Telegraaf they were doing it because of "rising costs”. The spokesperson said: "We want to motivate people to simply choose to take a large suitcase with them in the hold in such cases." 

The Foreign Office has recently issued a new travel warning for Turkey, advising against "all but essential travel" in certain parts of the country. It warns: "The FCDO advises against all travel to within 10km of the border with Syria due to fighting and a heightened risk of terrorism. Due to the ongoing conflict in Syria, roads in Hatay Province leading towards the border may be subject to closure.” On its ‘Safety and Security’ page it has also updated warnings regarding health, wildfires, crime, outdoor activities and adventure tourism.

The announcement from Corendon Airlines comes after airline KM Malta also confirmed it would be ditching the free 10kg hand luggage allowance. Finnair also said its basic air fare no longer includes a free suitcase in the cabin. Finnair’s Chief Commercial Officer Ole Orvér said at the time: "We are experiencing the familiar issues of excess baggage onboard our flights, impacting punctuality and travel comfort, and we are getting regular feedback on this from our customers and personnel."