Summary
- The Spanish General Secretariat of Consumer Affairs of the Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs, and 2030 Agenda fined easyJet, Volotea, Vueling, and Ryanair.
- The Ministry’s secretariat alleged that the 4 low-cost carriers violated consumers’ rights by charging them for extra pieces of baggage onboard or charging for reserved seats.
- In response, the Association of Airlines (La Asociación de Líneas Aérea, ALA) blasted the Ministry for its decision, adding that it might penalize travelers who selected to not bring an extra bag onboard.
The Spanish government has collectively fined 4 low-cost carriers, including easyJet, Volotea, Vueling, and Ryanair, for charging consumers for various services, including the flexibility to take carry-on bags on aircraft or reserve seats onboard aircraft.
Long-fought battle
In response to a press release by Facua-Consumidores en Acción, also often called FACUA, a non-governmental organization advocating for consumer rights, it has battled the allegedly illegal practices since 2018.
FACUA said that the Spanish General Secretariat of Consumer Affairs of the Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs, and 2030 Agenda (La Secretaría General de Consumo del Ministerio de Derechos Sociales, MAS) imposed a collective €150 million ($163.1 million) nice for easyJet, Volotea, Vueling, and Ryanair.
Photo: BearFotos | Shutterstock
The 4 low-cost carriers were fined for 4 violations, namely charges for bringing an extra piece of hand luggage onboard an aircraft, charging for seat allocation even when passengers are traveling as assistants for individuals with disabilities or with children, hiding the true prices of tickets, and prohibiting money payments at airports.
Photo: easyJet
Moreover, Ryanair was fined individually for charging passengers who desired to print their tickets on the airport, in line with a report by the Spanish outlet CADENA Ser. The outlet added that the Consumer Affairs Secretariat began investigating the allegedly illegal practices in 2023 after FACUA and other consumer associations complained concerning the quartet.
![Ryanair Boeing 737-800.](https://static1.simpleflyingimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/lukas-souza-08-30-23-arn-ryanair-boeing-737-800-1.jpg)
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One passenger, furious over the matter, called the airline “scandalous.”
Forcing consumers to buy unnecessary services
In response to the fines, the Association of Airlines (La Asociación de Líneas Aérea, ALA), which unites just about all the airlines operating flights from/to Spain, blasted the choice by MAS, saying that ending the likelihood for passengers to buy additional ancillary services, including additional bags that they’ll bring onboard an aircraft, would penalize consumers.
Photo: Cristian Storto | Shutterstock
In response to ALA, almost 50 million passengers who decide to travel only with a backpack can be forced to pay for services that they don’t need, including the flexibility to bring an extra bag on an aircraft.
The association also emphasized that the legal process was not over and that it could appeal the ruling. Javier Gándara, the President of ALA, stated that passengers can be negatively affected by the ruling because they’d pay more for his or her itineraries while reiterating that the European Union (EU) law protects the airlines’ right to charge for such services.
![Ryanair and easyJet aircraft on an airport apron.](https://static1.simpleflyingimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/shutterstock_1738254614-2.jpg)
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Ancillary revenues
Currently, all 4 airlines allow a chunk of hand luggage to be brought onboard an aircraft when purchasing their most cost-effective fares so long as it meets the dimensions and weight standards set out by their policies. ALA warned that between 30% and 40% of passengers travel with out a larger cabin bag, meaning they’d should pay for the service they don’t need.
Moreover, the aircraft cabin has limited space, meaning that even when travelers pay for the extra piece of baggage, they can not bring it onboard an aircraft, ALA noted. Suppose a bag or piece of baggage doesn’t fit onboard an aircraft. In that case, it must be placed into the cargo hold, causing multiple inconveniences, which could lead to the flight being delayed, the association continued.
Photo: Ryanair
For low-cost carriers, a big a part of their revenues comes from ancillary services, equivalent to allowing travelers to bring an extra bag onboard or reserve their seats.
Ryanair’s FY2024 report for the 12-month period that ended on March 31, 2024, read that its average fare was €49.80 ($54.15), while the typical ancillary revenue per passenger was around €23.40 ($25.45). Out of the €13.4 billion ($14.5 billion) of revenue it had earned in FY2024, €4.2 billion ($4.5 billion), or 31.2%, was from ancillary revenues.
![Ryanair aircraft](https://static1.simpleflyingimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/piotr_mitelski_comp_5.jpg)
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