Airlines Hit with £130M Fine for Abusive Cabin Bag Charges
Ryanair, EasyJet, Vueling, and Volotea Fined for Excessive Bag Charges
Spanish Ministry Penalizes Carriers for Violating Customer Rights
AIRLINES including EasyJet and Ryanair have been hit with a £130million fine for forcing holidaymakers to pay for “abusive” cabin bag charges. Spanish authorities have also punished budget airlines Vueling and Volotea for excessively charging flyers to bring luggage on board, consumer groups at the head of a six-year campaign said on Friday. The total fine against the four air carriers totals a whopping €150m (£127m) – the largest penalty in the history of low-cost airlines. Ryanair, EasyJet, Vueling, and Volotea can appeal the fine – first before the ministry and then before the National Court. But all four operators have warned that flight ticket prices will climb if they lose the case, Spanish outlet Sur reports.
Ryanair’s Controversial History With Bag Charges
Ryanair has a controversial history with bag charges. They were the first to start charging for carrying hand luggage in November 2018 and are seen as the main instigators of the trend. The breakdown of the sanctions has not been revealed, although Ryanair is believed to have received the highest fine out of the four, according to El Pais.
Consumer Rights Violations by Airlines
Spain’s Consumer Rights Ministry fined the carriers for violating customer rights when charging for larger carry-on luggage, picking seats, or boarding pass printouts. The final charge also takes into consideration the costs for seat selection when the traveler is accompanied by children or dependent people. Not allowing cash payments at check-in desks or buying items on-board have also influenced the cost of the charge, consumer rights associations OCU and Facua said.
Challenges to Budget Airlines’ Business Models
The fines are a challenge to budget airlines’ business models, which hinge on charging rock-bottom fees for tickets and adding supplements for things that were previously free. OCU said in a statement it expected other European countries to follow suit and also to punish those same “abusive practices.”
Impact on European Airlines
In 2019, a Spanish court ruled Ryanair’s policy of charging a fee for hand luggage was “abusive”. However, Ryanair continued with its policy, citing airlines’ commercial freedom to determine the size of their cabin baggage. The success of the budget airlines and the appeal of their low-ticket price policy has forced many legacy airlines to stop offering services such as free food and drinks or entertainment in short and medium-haul flights. Several other airlines have also upped their baggage fees for passengers this year.
Hand Luggage Rules for UK Airlines
Hand luggage rules for UK airlines include:
– Ryanair: One personal bag measuring no more than 40cm x 20cm x 25cm
– EasyJet: One personal bag measuring no larger than 45cm x 36cm x 20cm
– Jet2: One personal item that fits underneath the seat in front and one cabin bag no larger than 56cm x 45cm x 25cm weighing up to 10kg
– TUI: One personal item that fits underneath the seat in front and one cabin bag no larger than 55cm x 40cm x 20cm weighing up to 10kg
– British Airways: One personal bag no larger than 40cm x 30cm x 15cm and one cabin bag no larger than 56cm x 45cm 25cm weighing up to 23kg
– Virgin Atlantic: One personal item that fits underneath the seat in front and one cabin bag no larger than 56cm x 36cm x 23cm weighing up to 10kg
Overall, the fines imposed on the airlines highlight the consumer rights violations and the challenges faced by budget airlines in the current market.