Passengers who fly with Europe’s airlines, and many from Poland's, have been growingly vocal over their resentment over additional fees levied for hand baggage in the cabin. This irritation now brought a complaint to the consumer protection bodies and the EU Commissions. Organizations representing consumers from 12 EU countries have teamed up to fight the charges, which they describe as “unjustified additional fees”. Their move follows a recent Spanish decision to fine several low-cost airlines €179 million for doing the same.
1 month Ago By Oskar Malec
Complaints focus on the big low-cost carriers
Carriers like Ryanair, EasyJet, Vueling, Norwegian , and Volotea have already been fined in Spain. Now, charges have been added by consumer groups from France, Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Portugal, Cyprus, Greece, Norway, the Czech Republic, and more against Wizzair and Transavia. The complaint claims that the charges for cabin bags are a breach of fundamental consumer rights and asks that national authorities respond. A formal letter has also been sent to the European Commission calling for an inquiry into the pricing policies of the airlines concerned.
Luggage fees spark legal debate
Airlines say their policies are legal under EU Regulation (EC) No. 1008/2008, pointing to 40 Spanish court rulings upholding their position, but consumer groups disagree. They cite a 2014 ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union, which stated that passengers should not be charged for hand luggage that meets reasonable weight, size, and safety criteria. Spanish authorities have also denounced airlines for a range of other practices, including fees to seat children, and people with disabilities, and printing boarding passes.
Even as it wages a war of lawsuits and regulatory filings, an increasing number of European travelers are protesting fees they consider unfair in the cost of budget air travel.
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