Belgium's consumers' rights organisation Test-Achats has filed a complaint with the Economic Inspectorate against Ryanair and several other airlines that charge extra for hand luggage.
Charging supplements for hand luggage makes it more difficult to compare prices correctly, and is not allowed according to the Court of Justice of the European Union, which states that hand luggage of reasonable dimensions must be an integral part of the price of an air ticket.
"We believe that charging surcharges for hand luggage is an unfair commercial practice," said Laura Clays, spokesperson for Test-Achats, in a press release.
Therefore, the organisation is filing a complaint against Ryanair, Vueling, Wizzair and EasyJet, whose surcharges range from around €6 to €75 per piece of hand luggage.
"We ask the Economic Inspection to sanction this practice and we encourage anyone who does have to pay such a surcharge this summer to keep the proof of payment so we can use it in any subsequent legal proceedings," Clays said.
An illegal practice
According to Test-Achats, charging extra fees for hand luggage is problematic in two ways.
First, it prevents passengers from easily comparing prices because they only see the actual price they have to pay for their trip at the end of their purchasing process. This is contrary to European regulations, which stipulate that the final price to be paid must be specified at all times and from the beginning of the process.
Additionally, the Court of Justice of the European Union states that hand luggage should be considered "a necessary part of the carriage of passengers, so that no surcharge should be levied for its carriage, provided that it complies with reasonable weight and size requirements and applicable safety regulations."
