On Monday, June 22, 2015, I took Flight 723 from L...

On Monday, June 22, 2015, I took Flight 723 from London to Toronto. I encountered a slight problem with a carry-on luggage item that became a bigger problem, owing to AirTransat's policies and policy implementation. When I first purchased my carry-on luggage item, I was careful to ensure that it would conform with the carry-on policies of almost all of the airlines; this carry-on item is a popular item, made specifically in consideration of these policies. I travel the world, so naturally I don't want to 'kid around', as it were, in this regard.

When I attempted to bring this carry-on item with me on this flight, I was asked to place it in a rack to ensure that it conforms to AirTransat's own policies. It turned out that it was only a few inches too large, and that AirTransat's policies in this regard are only slightly different than are the policies of most airlines. However, AirTransat personnel told me that I would have no choice but to pay 130.00 BPS and to have this item placed in Checked In baggage. I spoke to a supervisor on the matter, to the point of telling them that they can expect to lose a customer in the future because of this, but they refused to budge. I then paid the 130.00 GBP, and was not the only person to have to go through exactly this procedure on this flight.

While I understand that this was covered in the 'Terms and Conditions' section of my ticket, charging 130.00 BPS for a slight deviation from AirTransat's policies is, by any objective standard, extremely excessive, unwarranted, and arguably even opportunistic. Additionally, the exorbitantly high fee and the fact that I was not the only passenger to experience this suggests that there may be a profit motive beyond AirTransat's slight but highly consequential deviation from the policies of almost all airlines.

Upon arriving in Canada, I attempted to work the matter out further with AirTransat, to the point of sharing the actual text of this complaint with them, and giving them the opportunity to remedy the matter, but they did not provide a refund of (or approaching) 130.00 GBP, as requested.