Spain’s Minister for Social Rights, Consumer Affairs and Agenda 2030, Pablo Bustinduy, has announced a coordinated initiative involving 16 consumer associations from 12 European Union countries to take action against seven low-cost airlines. The aim is to put an end to the imposition of additional charges for carrying hand luggage, a practice that, according to the organizations involved, violates European consumer protection law.
The announcement was made at the Brussels headquarters of BEUC (The European Consumer Organisation), and was supported by consumer groups from countries such as France, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Portugal, Greece, Poland, and Norway. Together with Spain, these organizations have filed complaints with their respective national consumer protection authorities against Ryanair, Vueling, EasyJet, Norwegian Airlines, Volotea, Transavia, and Wizz Air.
This Europe-wide initiative builds upon actions previously taken by Spain’s Ministry of Consumer Affairs, which in 2023 fined five airlines for these same practices. BEUC’s Director General, Agustín Reyna, highlighted that Spain’s response has served as an inspiration to foster a coordinated effort at EU level. “Spain has shown the way and proved that abusive business practices in the airline sector can—and must—be sanctioned,” Reyna stated.
Claims submitted to national and European authorities
In addition to the national-level complaints, BEUC—representing 44 consumer organizations in 31 European countries—has also filed a formal complaint with the European Commission and the Consumer Protection Cooperation (CPC) Network. The complaint calls for an EU-wide investigation into these business practices. Among the issues raised are: charging for hand luggage carried in the cabin, mandatory payment for adjacent seats for children or dependents, banning cash payments, charging for printing boarding passes, and a lack of price transparency.
During his remarks, Minister Bustinduy hailed the European initiative as “excellent news” for consumer rights. He reiterated that from the beginning, Spain made it clear it would be the first to act, but not the only one. Now, we see this defence spreading across the continent. He encouraged consumers to stand up for their rights in the face of corporate interests, and to rely on consumer organizations as key allies in building a fairer economy.
The legal foundation for this action lies in a 2014 ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union, which explicitly prohibits airlines from imposing extra charges for hand luggage, provided it complies with reasonable size, weight, and safety requirements.
Source of information: Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs and Agenda 2030