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Of Brad Younglive news reporter

“Absurd” baggage charges are “shoebusting” tourists carrying gifts from friends and family, a travel expert has warned.

Simon Calder, a former airport security guard and travel journalist, said some fees for carrying too much weight were as high as the price of the plane ticket.

His advice comes as a survey found 32% of travelers were charged for overweight luggage, paying an average of £55 extra.

The research, carried out by Confused.com, found that 40% of those penalized were carrying gifts.

“I’m seeing more and more that baggage fees are often as high as the original fare, which is frankly absurd,” Mr Calder said.

He said allowances “have been so radically transformed” since 20 years ago when every airline offered at least 15kg free and “you could take enough stuff for a month”.

It’s no wonder Confused.com found that one in five people said they had to buy an extra bag at the airport.

Overweight baggage charges now range from £10 per kg to a flat fee of £65.

Virgin Atlantic and British Airways charge the highest rate for packing just over the limit – but BA offers the most generous allowance to begin with.

Can’t see your airline? You can check your allowance using Confused.com’s online checker Here.

“I’m really worried about this at Christmas because Confused.com’s survey shows that a lot of people end up getting hit with extra charges at the airport, usually because they’ve been given presents to take,” said Mr Calder. .

Five million Britons are expected to travel abroad in December, according to the Travel Association.

And Heathrow Airport said it was bracing for its busiest ever Christmas Day – up 21% on last year.

Even an expert like Mr. Caldwell can be caught, after having to pay a fee before a flight from Panama where they were weighing passengers.

“I was found to be seven kilos too much and I think it cost me about $30 – that taught me.”