Regulatory

EasyJet, Ryanair among budget airlines fined by Spanish government for ""abusive practices""

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EasyJet, Ryanair among budget airlines fined by Spanish government for ""abusive practices""
Budget airlines including Ryanair and EasyJet have been fined a total of €150 million by the Spanish government for what it called “abusive practices”. The specific figures each airline has been fined hasn't been revealed. Ryanair, EasyJet, Vueling and Volotea were fined for practices such as charging passengers for carry-on baggage, or forcing passengers to pay to choose seats for children/other dependents. Spain’s consumer affairs ministry said the airlines were engaging in “unfair commercial practice that hinders the comparability of offers and the decision-making of consumers, causing them significant economic damage and distorting the positioning of companies in internet searches”. Speaking of the fines, Spain’s Airlines Association (ALA) said: ""All airlines include free carry-on luggage under the seat, the intention of Consumer Affairs to force the inclusion of a larger cabin bag penalises passengers who are currently allowed to choose and pay only for those services they need, affecting nearly 50 million passengers who today only travel with luggage under the seat. “ALA considers it nonsense that consumer affairs wants to unilaterally prohibit the charge for hand luggage in the cabin, ignoring the opinion of the European Commission”. The airlines can appeal the fines.