Seven airlines face consumer complaints over 'undue' hand luggage fees
Malta joins 15 consumer groups in urging European Commission to act against airlines accused of misleading passengers and violating regulations
The Association for Consumer Rights Malta has joined forces with the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) and 15 other member organisations from 12 countries to file a complaint to the European Commission and the Consumer Protection authorities’ network denouncing seven airlines charging “undue fees” for hand luggage.
The organisations called for an EU-wide investigation into the commercial practices of the targeted airlines and the wider sector.
In its joint statement BEUC said that EasyJet, Norwegian, Ryanair, Transavia, Volotea, Wizzair, and Vueling, were breaching Air Services regulations for charging passengers additional fees for the carriage of hand baggage that complies with standard size and weight limits.
BEUC said that charging for hand baggage was “misleading” consumers as to the services that are included in their ticket.
“We are taking action against seven airlines who are exploiting consumers and are ignoring the EU top court who ruled that charging reasonably sized hand baggage is illegal,” the BEUC said.
In 2014 the EU Court of Justice had rulued that “carriage of hand baggage cannot be made subject to a price supplement, provided that it meets reasonable requirements in terms of its weight and dimensions and complies with applicable security requirements.”
BEUC’s Spanish member organisation Organización de Consumidores y Usuarios had launched a formal complaint to the Spanish Ministry of Social Rights and Consumption who ultimately fined five airlines, including Ryanair and Easyjet, a total of €179 million for abusive hand baggage practices last year.
A consumer organisation in Belgium had filed a similar complaint to its local authorities while the Portuguese member DECO launched a court action against Ryanair for their hand baggage policy.
“These national procedures highlight the need to launch an EU-wide action,” BEUC said, adding that harmonising rules on hand baggage will allow “better transparency and price comparability for passengers and ensure legal certainty”.
A survey from a Duth consumer organisation revealed that 86 per cent of consumers think that a small item and a small trolley or a backpack should be included in the basic ticket price.