Recently, TUI Travel UK has announced that it is considering measures to impose additional charges for checked baggage on its charter services for green reasons. Notably, the company has been offering not less than 19 million package holidays across Britain annually. The recent move is aimed at discouraging passengers who check-in heavy and large bags. The ultimate aim of this measure is to reduce the overall weight of the aircraft thereby reducing the carbon footprint.

Through an estimate, the travel company has revealed that more than one third of all the baggage carried by passengers on their trips abroad are actually unnecessary. The company says that by imposing the green tax on passengers who over-pack, the holiday package price for people packing modestly can be lowered. Presently, the planes of TUI limit the luggage between 15-25kgs per passenger for checked luggage. However, the weight also depends on the route taken.

Over and above, the airline might also announce its plans to charge a flat rate for checked luggage on short haul routes also. For instance, Ryanair is charging £8 for the first bag, with an upper limit of 15kgs per bag.

A TUI spokesperson noted, "We've talked about having lower luggage allowances, but we want to do it for the right reasons - environmental reasons, not as an extra revenue stream. We've got to get people to think about what they pack. In our experience a third of what's in most suitcases could be left at home."