Five low-budget airline companies are fuming over fines of approximately $180m in total imposed by the Spanish Ministry of Consumer Affairs for ‘abusive practices’ concerning charging customers extra fees when fees should not have been imposed.
The Spanish Ministry has accused said
airline
companies with violating customers’ rights when charging for larger carry-on bags, reserving seats for accompanying disabled persons or children, as well as boarding pass print-outs, in addition to not allowing cash payments at check-in desks or the ability for passengers to buy items on board the airlines.
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Ryanair and easyJet Among the Five Low-Budget Airlines Slapped With Hefty Fines
Ryanair, easyJet, Norwegian, Volotea, and Vueling airlines were slapped with hefty fines; with Ryanair charged with the highest fine out of all of them: €107,775,777.
Vueling Airlines received the second-highest fine: €39,264,412; followed by easyJet with 29,094,441 euros, Norwegian with €1,610,001, and Volotea with €1,189,000, according to the Ministry in a joint statement.
All five airlines are known to charge low-cost, budget-friendly fares for flights, tacking on additional fees in accordance with their bag and cabin policies.
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Airlines Fuming Over Imposed Fines; Plans to Appeal in Spain’s Court to ‘Vigorously Defend Their Position’
easyJet airlines on tarmac
Representatives of the five low-budget
airlines
are fuming over the sanctions imposed by the Ministry, stating the fines and charges are against their bag and cabin policies; adding that the implications and cost of the fees are outrageous.
Michael O’Leary, Ryanair’s Chief Executive, said: “These illegal and baseless fines, which have been invented by Spain’s Consumer Affairs Ministry for political reasons, are clearly in breach of European Union law. Ryanair has, for many years, used bag fees and airport check-in fees to change passenger behavior and we pass on these cost savings in the form of lower fares to consumers.”
Currently, Spain’s Ministry has banned all five airlines from imposing additional surcharges and fees to passengers within their airports across the country, claiming the airlines are overcharging customers to “illicit profit.”
This isn’t the first time an EU country has fined low-budget airlines for greedy practices. In August this year, Italy banned Ryanair for ‘extra fees for seat reservations next to children under 12 or people with disabilities.’ Ryanair attempted to appeal that ban and fine in the Italian courts and lost.
Andrés Barragán, secretary general for consumer affairs and gambling at the ministry, defended the fines, saying the government’s decision was based on Spanish and EU law. “It is an abuse to charge €20 for just printing the boarding card in the airport, [it’s] something no one wants,” he told the BBC’s World Business Report program. “This is a problem consumers are facing not only in Spain but in other EU countries.”
A representative for easyJet has also issued a statement, indicating the airline plans to “vigorously defend” itself in lieu of the imposed sanctions and fines.
“We completely disagree with the Spanish Consumer Ministry and find the proposed sanctions outrageous,” she said. “We consider our bag policy to be in line with all applicable laws, and as such there is no change to our current cabin bag policy.”