Spain fines airlines €150 million over hand luggage fees

The Spanish government has imposed fines totalling €150 million on four airlines (Ryanair, EasyJet, Vueling, and Volotea). Madrid has deemed additional fees for carrying hand luggage unacceptable, reports Cadena Ser radio.

According to the Spanish consumer protection association Facua, a €150 million fine is "historic." Rubén Sánchez, the organization's secretary-general, told journalists it is necessary to put an end to fraud and "illegal practices."

"For the first time in our history, we can say that we are satisfied with the amount of a fine," said the activist, quoted by the German news daily Tagesschau. Media across Europe are writing about the fines imposed on airlines. However, the amount each airline must pay has not been disclosed.

The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC), which groups 45 entities from 31 countries, assessed the decision of the Madrid government as a "strong and welcome signal."

We must put an end to the unfair hand luggage policies of airlines - announced Agustín Reyna from BEUC.

The organization believes that standards regarding hand luggage should be introduced across the entire European Union. However, the decision to impose the fine was criticized by Asociación de Líneas Aéreas (ALA), the Spanish airline association.

According to ALA, in practice, this will mean a ban on some airlines charging fees for hand luggage. As a result, this will harm consumers, especially "50 million passengers who do not carry hand luggage in the cabin," meaning those who do not pay extra for this service.

Tagesschau emphasizes that some airlines' restrictive hand luggage regulations violate Spanish law. It was found that services "traditionally included in the ticket price were billed separately." Furthermore, airline advertisements only indicated ticket prices without informing about additional costs.

In 2023, the General Directorate for Consumers began analyzing complaints that had been received from customers. The Spanish government concluded last year that, thanks to low prices, airlines could better position themselves in search engines. In reality, however, the price differs from what is shown in search engines. An example was given of a flight offer for €50, but upon further clicks, the price increased to €70, and then with additional "hidden fees" to €90. This was deemed a "lack of transparency of information."

Moreover, practices such as surcharges for seat reservations, especially for accompanying minors or those who need assistance, were deemed illegal. It is also prohibited to prohibit customers from purchasing airport flight tickets with cash.

ALA can appeal the government's decision and may take legal action on this matter.