Consumer associations submit complaint against airlines charging fees for hand luggage

The Consumentenbond and 15 other European consumer organizations have submitted a complaint about airlines charging unjustified fees for taking hand luggage on a plane. The complaints about easyJet, Transavia, Ryanair, Norwegian Airlines, Volotea, Vueling, and Wizzair have been submitted to the European Commission and the network of international consumer authorities, the CPC.

The director of the Consumentenbond, Sandra Molenaar, has referred to a verdict by the European Court of Justice in 2014. The court ruled that it was against the rules to have passengers pay for a reasonably sized hand luggage.

Five airline companies were issued fines worth millions of euros in Spain last year. “Sadly, nothing has changed since then, and hand luggage is still a cash cow for airlines. That is why we are calling on European regulators to look into the costs of hand luggage and take action against it,” Molenaar said.

The director added that she hopes that this will lead to more transparent ticket pricing so that consumers can compare the prices between airlines more easily.

The Belgian consumer organization Testaankoop started a court case against Ryanair last week due to allegations of misleading practices during the booking process. Ryanair is accused of damaging the rights of consumers by charging people to bring hand luggage on board.

At the end of last year, the Consumentenbond conducted a survey involving over 11,000 people regarding hand luggage. Around 86 percent felt that bringing a small suitcase onboard should be free of charge. Over half of the people asked felt that this should also be the case for a small bag.

Ryanair “welcomed” the complaint and stated that any investigation will prove that the airline is working within the EU laws. The Irish airline emphasized that travelers can bring a free bag as long as it is 40 by 25 to 20 centimeters. "This policy promotes both low fares and consumer choice. If airlines were forced to include additional carry-on luggage in the base fare, it would limit choice and increase airfares for all passengers."