Consumers in Europe challenge budget airlines over baggage fees
A coalition of 15 consumer rights organizations from across Europe has urged the European Commission to initiate an investigation into what they describe as unfair baggage charges imposed by budget airlines, including Ryanair and easyJet. This call comes in the wake of Spain's recent fines against several of these carriers for similar practices.
The complaint targets seven budget airlines: easyJet, Norwegian, Ryanair, Transavia, Volotea, Vueling, and Wizz Air. These organizations allege that these airlines impose hidden fees on travelers through stringent baggage charges.
Central to the controversy are the additional fees that budget airlines charge for hand luggage that does not meet their specific requirements. This issue gained further attention after Spain's government fined five of these airlines—excluding Wizz Air and Transavia—€179 million for what it termed "abusive practices," particularly regarding charges for hand luggage.
Consumer groups emphasize a key ruling from the European Court of Justice in 2014, which stated that hand luggage cannot be subject to a surcharge if it meets reasonable weight and size requirements and adheres to safety regulations. They argue that the airlines frequently classify luggage as "oversized," despite it being within reasonable limits in terms of weight and dimensions.
The inconsistency in allowed dimensions among various airlines exacerbates the problem, as there is no universal definition of what constitutes a "reasonably sized" piece of hand luggage. Analysis conducted by these consumer organizations reveals that the airlines impose hefty extra fees for luggage that fails to meet their defined dimensions, with charges reaching €36 for Ryanair, €43 for easyJet, and as much as €280 for Vueling.
In response to these concerns, the consumer organizations have filed a formal complaint with consumer protection authorities in their respective countries and with the European Commission, advocating for an EU-wide investigation to address these alleged illegal commercial practices.
As of now, it remains uncertain whether the European Commission will decide to pursue an inquiry into these claims.
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