German consumer group sues budget airlines over hand luggage fees
BERLIN (dpa)A German consumer group has launched legal action against several budget airlines over what it describes as unlawful charges for hand luggage."Ryanair, EasyJet and others lure customers with low fares that don't include standard hand luggage. That's deceptive and violates existing law," Ramona Pop, chairwoman of the vzbv consumer umbrella body, told the Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung newspaper in remarks published on Saturday.Pop said airlines are obliged to carry reasonable hand luggage at no additional cost, but in many cases, only a small personal item is included in the base fare, with larger bags requiring a paid upgrade.'The size limits used by many carriers contradict EU law,' she said.As a first step, vzbv issued formal warnings to several carriers. Pop said lawsuits have now been filed against Ryanair, EasyJet, WizzAir, and Vueling Airlines.'In our view, they are charging inadmissible fees and thus misleading consumers about flight prices,' Pop said.Pop called on the European Union to set clear rules and standards for free hand luggage. The vzbv's legal action is part of a broader Europe-wide campaign, she said.According to the consumer group, its legal argument draws on a 2014 ruling by the European Court of Justice. The ruling determined that hand luggage is a fundamental part of air travel, not an optional extra provided by the airline.
Consumer advocates argue that airlines should not be allowed to charge extra for it, provided the bag meets reasonable size and weight limits and complies with safety regulations.
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