A COUPLE whose trip of a lifetime ended with a hefty £264 hand luggage bill are warning other passengers to be vigilant.

Robert and Margaret Hawkins were stung with charges as they took a £74 flight from Southampton to Manchester with Flybe.

The pensioners, of Springwood Hall Gardens, were returning from an Antarctic cruise as part of a six-week adventure covering Brazil, Argentina, South Africa, Ghana, Tenerife and Portugal.

But it wasn’t until they hit Southampton that their cabin-sized bags caused them problems.

Mr Hawkins, 78, said: “We were just checking in and were told to put our hand luggage in a frame to measure it.

“We had been on four flights with these cases without any problems, but the cases didn’t fit by 2cm. If I’d chopped the wheels off, they’d have gone in. We had no choice but to add it to the luggage in the hold.”

The couple were made to pay an extra £264 to add the two 9kg cases to their main luggage – which was already 2kg below their 20kg allowance each.

Mr Hawkins added: “I was sloughed. You can’t argue with the booking conditions but these charges are outrageous.

“When you book these flights you just tick the terms and conditions box and don’t realise how some airlines can vary so much.

“We’d used these cases before without any problems and they were actually sold as hand luggage suitcases. I just want to warn people not to be conned by this scam.”

He warned Flybe’s charges ranged between £10 and £28 for every extra kilogram.

When Mr Hawkins asked to see a manager at the check-in desk, he was told they were unavailable. He and his wife had no choice but to pay by credit card – which also incurred an extra 3% charge.

He said: “When I got on the plane and measured the overhead locker, our cases would have easily fit. People just don’t believe how much we’ve had to pay. It is ludicrous.”

The hand luggage dimensions allowed on Flybe flights are 50cm x 35cm x 23cm – 2cm too short for Mr Hawkin’s 52cm-long cases.

But in comparison, British Airways allows hand luggage up to 56cm-long.

Mr Hawkins has since complained to the airline and is awaiting a response.

A Flybe spokesman said: “When making a booking customers are required to read and accept the terms and conditions before confirming.”