Government opens disciplinary proceedings against low-cost airlines for hand luggage charges

The Ministry of Consumer Affairs has initiated the first disciplinary proceedings against several low-cost airlines for charging extra costs for hand luggage carried in the cabin.

The ministry, through the General Directorate of Consumer Affairs, has extended the case to the additional costs applied to other services that were traditionally included in the price of the ticket, such as the reservation of the seat next to another passenger in the case of minors or dependent persons.

Thus, through this practice of cutting off services traditionally included in the ticket price and charging the passenger a supplement for them, these companies offer very competitive prices in their advertising. This allows them to have a privileged SEO positioning in search engines and in comparators compared to competitors that do include these services in the price of the ticket that is advertised in the comparator.

However, this price initially offered in advertising does not correspond in most cases, as a consequence of these practices, with the price that the consumer ends up paying.

In addition, the airlines initiated would not be allowing cash payment at the airport for additional services, contrary to the provisions of the regulations.

The sanctions provided for these infractions can be considered as serious or very serious infractions, and be penalised with fines of between 10,001 and 100,000 euro, in the case of serious ones, and between 100,001 and 1,000,000 euro, in the case of very serious offences.

In the event that the illicit benefit obtained from the infringing practices exceeds said amounts, the sanctions imposed could reach up to between four and six times the illicit benefit obtained, for serious infringements, and between six and eight times the illicit benefit obtained, in the case of very serious ones.

These practices violate article 47 of the Consolidated Text of the General Law for the Defence of Consumers and Users and are the responsibility of the Ministry of Consumer Affairs under the provisions of article 52bis section 5.

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