AVACU asks travelers to demand airlines continue to charge for carry-on luggage

The Valencia Consumer Association has spoken out after the Ministry of Consumer Affairs fined budget airlines Ryanair, Vueling, EasyJet and Volotea. They received a fine of 150 million euros for violations related to charging fees, such as hand luggage. They consider this and other services “basic and necessary.” They expressed satisfaction with this decision and demanded that the administration monitor these actions in order to “prevent their further occurrence.”

The fine is €150 million, the highest in history, and covers violations committed by “low-cost” airlines, such as surcharges for hand luggage, surcharges for shared seat bookings for minors and dependents. people, lack of transparency of final prices and a ban on cash payments both at the airport and on board aircraft. Moreover, in the case of Ryanair, the practice of charging €20 for reprinting a boarding pass at the airport itself was also considered abusive.

AVACU believes these “abuses” by airlines “represent a violation of user rights in a sector that has seen an increase in complaints in recent years.” In particular, air travel is in second place on the list of the most problematic industries, second only to telecommunications.

Additionally, they encourage users to file complaints with the relevant consumer protection authorities if they find themselves involved in any of these situations. They also remember that in case of going to court it is not necessary to have a lawyer or lawyer, since it is a claim of less than 2,000 euros.

The process began in 2023, when the General Directorate of Consumer Affairs analyzed complaints from consumer associations such as Facua. As a result, sanctions were proposed and the affected airlines were charged and then received multimillion-dollar sanctions a few days ago. The refusal of these companies is supported by European regulations. According to the Airline Association (ALA), such a decision is contrary to the principle of freedom of pricing.

Fernando Moner, president of AVACU, argues that “consumers and authorities should not allow airlines to threaten us with price increases simply for the simple fact of following the rules.”

Moner adds that, as stated in the regulation of the Ministry of Social Rights and Consumer Affairs, “we believe that they must adhere to what is established by the laws, comply with it and offer the best service to users, who will then be responsible for finding the best offers in terms of quality /price that suits their prospects, always having as added value those companies that respect the laws and rights of their customers.