Unauthorised fees charged by airlines

On the initiative of the Spanish consumer protection association ‘FACUA’, the Spanish Ministry of Consumer Affairs has fined the so-called low-cost airlines Ryanair, Volotea, Vueling and EasyJet more than 150 million euros for unfair commercial practices. To date, this is the highest fine imposed by the Spanish consumer protection authorities for anti-consumer practices.

The charges imposed included additional fees for
• taking luggage on board
• charging for seat selection if the traveller is accompanied by children or relatives, especially if the passenger is in need of assistance
• the paper printout of the boarding pass (20 euros with Ryanair).

Infringements of competition law are also criticised, as the lack of transparency in pricing would give an unfair advantage in the price ranking compared to other companies with all-inclusive prices.

The association of Spanish airlines AUA is of course of a different opinion, and all airlines are certain to lodge an appeal against the decision, which is not legally binding (source: El Pais from 31/05/2024, Multa histórica de 150 millones a Ryanair, Volotea, Vueling y EasyJet por cobrar el equipaje de cabina).
An examination under German and Italian fair trading law would be interesting, whereby the question of non-transparency of pricing would not be hopeless.

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