The Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs and Agenda 2030 has sanctioned the airlines Ryanair, Easyjet, Vueling and Volotea for abusive practices towards passengers.
The Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs and Agenda 2030 has made public the sanction imposed on the airlines Ryanair, Easyjet, Vueling and Volotea for considering the following infringements to be abusive and therefore contrary to Consumer Affairs regulations:
- Charging extra for the reservation of an adjacent seat for accompanying minors or dependent persons.
- Demanding extra charges for the carriage of hand luggage in the cabin.
- Opacity in pre-contractual information on the final price of the service.
- Prohibition of payment in cash both at the airport and on board the ship.
- Establishing a 20 euros surcharge for reprinting the boarding card at the airport (Ryanair was the only airline sanctioned for this practice).
With this fine of 150 million euros and the impossibility to continue performing these practices as an ancillary sanction, this concludes the file opened in June 2023 to investigate whether these practices were abusive or unfair and whether they contravened, in a generalised way, the Consumer Law. The airlines can now appeal to the Minister in cassation and to the Audiencia Nacional.
More information on air passenger rights.