Three words that strike fear into the heart of low-cost airlines: Free cabin baggage.
That’s what MEPs are pushing for in Strasbourg this week.
Lawmakers voted Wednesday afternoon to support a resolution that calls for airlines to scrap fees for “reasonable” sized carry-on luggage, and standardize rules on the size of cabin bags.
“You cannot commoditize a right, nor have a business model that inflates profits by dint of trampling on consumer rights,” said Spanish Renew MEP Jordi Cañas, who pushed for the free-of-charge element to be included in the resolution and said he was frustrated by carriers “repeatedly carrying out abusive practices against European citizens’ rights.”
The resolution arrived before all MEPs following a vote in the Parliament’s Committee on Petitions.
It calls for airlines to respect a 2014 ruling from the Court of Justice of the EU which says that cabin bags — provided they are of “reasonable” size and weight — are a “necessary aspect” of air travel and so passengers shouldn’t be charged for them.
Steven Berger, a senior legal officer at consumer organization Beuc, said the current situation is “absurd” for passengers.
“If you look at certain practices from certain airlines, they just don’t care,” he said. “So we need to codify it.”
He pointed to examples of passengers who brought carry-on luggage for free on an outbound flight only to be charged for the same piece of luggage on the return leg with the same company.
Berger also said there are often inconsistencies between airlines on the size and weight of hand luggage, which can cause particular issues for passengers traveling on multi-leg trips operated by different carriers.
Airlines say they already ensure passengers can have at least one small bag for free to carry personal items.
“A one-size-fits-all policy is likely to reduce the flexibility that passengers currently enjoy and impact the cost and convenience of air travel. It is also impractical, as the size and number of bags that fit securely onboard depends on the aircraft model and how it is configured,” industry group Airlines for Europe said in a statement. A typical Boeing plane has space for 90 larger overhead bags while on a standard Airbus it ranges from 75 to 85.
The plan still needs support from the Commission and EU countries.
The Commission says the issue is “currently being examined” as part of an impact assessment on the Air Services Regulation, which manages a range of issues involving the industry. But that assessment has been in the works since 2019.
A Commission spokesperson told POLITICO that “a number of measures are being assessed in order to address the increasing complexity of airlines’ offers as regards luggage, whilst at the same time respecting the airlines’ commercial freedom.”
The Commission also warned in response to the resolution against any “unintended consequences” of specifying a standard minimum size and weight of carry-on luggage, arguing that it “would likely lead to increased costs for passengers.”
In August, Spain’s Ministry of Consumer Affairs opened an investigation into several low-cost carriers over hand luggage fees and other extra charges such as specific seating.
“Through this practice of unbundling services and charging passengers a supplement for them, these companies offer very competitive prices in their advertising,” the Spanish ministry said, giving them a “privileged” position in search engine results. But it also means that passengers can end up paying a lot more than the originally advertised flight price.
It has long been a joke that some low-cost carriers are able to charge rock-bottom fares because they make up the difference by charging customers for every other service, such as luggage or snacks.
Ryanair was once even considering charging passengers to use the toilet, with the Irish airline’s boss Michael O’Leary saying back in 2009: “If you look at it sensibly, it would reduce an awful lot of the unnecessary visits to the toilet that pisses so many passengers off onboard a plane.”