EU consumers join Spain in slamming low-cost carriers for hand luggage fees

A group of 15 consumer rights organisations from around Europe, including Spain, have asked the European Commission to launch an inquiry into what they say are the abusive and illegal baggage charges levied by budget airlines.

Seven budget airlines are the subject of the complaint - easyJet, Norwegian, Ryanair, Transavia, Volotea, Vueling and Wizz Air - which accuses them of levying hidden fees on travellers through baggage charges.

At issue is the extra charges that budget airlines levy on hand luggage which does not conform to their very specific requirements.

This comes several months after Spain's government fined the same budget airlines (expect for Wizz Air and Transavia) €179 million for "abusive practices" such as charging passengers for hand luggage.

The consumer groups point out that: "In 2014 the European Court of Justice ruled that the carriage of hand luggage cannot be subject to a surcharge, provided that it meets reasonable requirements in terms of weight and dimensions and complies with the applicable safety requirements”.

They say that the named airlines regularly impose extra charges on baggage that they consider "oversized" but which the consumer groups say ought to be classed as "reasonable" in terms of weight and dimensions.

They add that the dimensions allowed vary widely between airlines, so that there is no agreed definition of a 'reasonably sized' piece of hand luggage.

Analysis by the consumer groups say that the airlines impose extra fees for luggage that does not comply with the dimensions defined by the company; €36 for Ryanair, €43 for easyJet, and up to €280 for Vueling.

They have launched a formal complaint with consumer protection watchdogs in their countries and with the European Commission "so that an EU-wide investigation can be launched and the illegal commercial practices of airlines sanctioned".

It is not yet clear whether the Commission will decide to launch an inquiry.