Ryanair and EasyJet update as they reject hand luggage claims
The European Consumer Organisation has filed an official complaint to the European Commission against seven airlines, including Easyjet and Ryanair
A group of seven airlines, including Easyjet and Ryanair, are facing potential fines over their hand luggage charges, amid accusations of "exploiting" customers and "ignoring" EU law. The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) has filed a complaint with the European Commission, calling for an "EU-wide investigation" into the practice of charging extra fees for hand luggage.
The move follows a €179million fine imposed on five airlines by the Spanish Organisation of Consumer and Users (OCU) last year for "abusive" hand baggage practices. BEUC Director General Agustín Reyna said: "Haven't we all experienced the fear of our hand baggage not fitting in the airline's sizers and being charged extra fees? Today we are taking action against seven airlines who are exploiting consumers and are ignoring the EU top court who ruled that charging reasonably sized hand baggage is illegal.
"This was confirmed by recent fines in Spain which made clear that passengers can bring their reasonably sized hand baggage onboard at no additional cost. In addition to our European action, the ongoing revision of the Air Passenger Rights regulation is the perfect opportunity for the EU to clarify what services should be included in the basic ticket price."
"Our data shows that consumers expect to see a small item and a piece of hand luggage when buying basic tickets. Policymakers should also define hand luggage's 'reasonable size and weight' to avoid surprises at the airport and ultimately reduce the number of disputes costing consumers and airlines time and money."
The airlines involved, which also include Norwegian Airlines, Transavia, Wizzair, Volotea, and Vueling, have hit back against the accusations, reports Wales Online.
What does BEUC accuse the airlines of doing wrong?
BEUC have provided examples of what they believe are unfair practices. For EasyJet, they note how the airline "imposes fees varying on the route selected, flight and time of booking".
These fees begin at £5.99 and a fee applied directly at the airport, called an 'airport bag fee' is £48, they say. BEUC also say that Ryanair fees for baggage vary depending on the route and travel dates.
They say these can range from £6 to £36 when booking, or £20 to £60 when booking at the airport. Millions of passengers who flew with the airlines in 2024 could be affected, BEUC claims.
What have Ryanair and other airlines said?
A Ryanair spokesperson said the airline "welcomes the filing of this complaint", claiming it would "confirm" its bag policy "fully complies with EU law". The spokesperson stated: "Ryanair allows each passenger to carry a generous (40 x 25 x 20 cm) personal bag on board free as part of its basic air fare, with the option to add extra bags for an optional fee should they so wish. This policy promotes both low fares and consumer choice."
The airline argued that forcing the inclusion of additional carry-on bags in the basic fare would reduce choice and increase air fares for all passengers, ultimately harming consumers. Ryanair also questioned BEUC's dealings with online travel agencies, stating: "If BEUC is genuinely concerned about consumers being 'exploited', then why does it continue to ignore the rampant consumer harm being caused by overcharging OTAs, who continue to induce unsuspecting consumers into paying unjustified hidden mark-ups for flights and ancillary products that cost much less when booked directly on airlines' websites?"
The airline suggested that tackling these OTA overcharges and enforcing transparency in OTA pricing would be a more effective use of BEUC's resources. A spokesperson for Norwegian Air said: "Norwegian is committed to offering safe and affordable travel, and our baggage policy reflects this. We believe we are in compliance with EU regulations and the policy is transparent and essential for managing weight and limited space on board, ensuring passenger safety, and also maintaining punctuality.
"Our customers have shown that they appreciate not having to pay for extra baggage when they don't need it. Customers travelling with Norwegian can bring a bag from the duty-free shop in addition to their hand luggage on board the aircraft."
Representing several European carriers including EasyJet, Norwegian, Ryanair, and Volotea, Airlines 4 Europe also issued a joint statement. A spokesperson declared: "All airlines let travellers bring one personal item as part of their fare, in line with the Vueling Ruling of the Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU).
"A 2024 Eurobarometer survey shows that 90% of passengers are well informed of the size and weight limits of the luggage included in their ticket. The action taken today by consumer organisations would decrease consumer choice and oblige all passengers to pay for additional services that they may not all need.
"The CJEU expressly acknowledges the value of unbundling services and how this allows passengers to choose the exact services that best suits their needs. The decision of the Spanish Consumer Protection Agency on cabin bags is currently under appeal and the European Commission is looking into whether it complies with EU law.
"Making cabin bags mandatory would force up to 50 million passengers in Spain alone to pay for something they do not want."
Moreover, the Spanish Airline Association (ALA), representing carriers including Vueling, insists that charging for cabin luggage is "perfectly legal". A spokesperson stated: "This practice allows passengers to pay only for the services they need, giving consumers the ability to choose based on their travel needs.
"In fact, this was the option chosen by just over 50 million passengers in 2024, who travelled without a trolley. If this practice were banned, these 50 million passengers would have to pay for a service they don't require, increasing their travel costs.
"It should be noted that airlines are currently already working with European authorities on standardising the dimensions of luggage. It should be noted that the Ministry of Consumer Affairs' ruling, which fines some airlines €179 million for charging for cabin baggage and seeks to impose an end to this practice, is being appealed by the affected airlines.
"Therefore, there is no final decision on the matter until the courts issue a ruling."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
27 minutes ago
- Reuters
Demand for US light sweet crude drops as OPEC+ ramps up output
NEW YORK, June 6 (Reuters) - Rising OPEC+ supplies and new streams of oil coming online globally are increasing options for European and Asian refiners and weighing on export demand for light sweet U.S. crude, contributing to lower prices in the country's main oil-producing regions. The U.S., the world's largest crude producer, is facing increasing competition as the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies pump more oil in a bid to regain market share and punish members that over-produce. Since April, OPEC+ countries including Saudi Arabia and Russia have made or announced increases totaling 1.37 million barrels per day, or 62% of the 2.2 million bpd they aim to add back to the market. The additional supplies come at a time of broad uncertainty for global oil producers as they assess how volatile trade policies are impacting the world's economic outlook and prepare for a longer-term future in which greener fuels could displace their barrels. For the U.S., lower demand for a significant portion of its crude will likely add to a complicated outlook for producers already digesting on-again, off-again tariffs from President Donald Trump's administration. Companies are considering cutting output and jobs even as Trump urges higher domestic production. U.S. exports fell to an average of 3.8 million bpd in May from an average of 4 million bpd in April, according to an analysis of weekly Energy Information Administration data. Prices have declined for crudes such as WTI-Midland, a key sweet grade from the U.S. shale region. Since early March, its price is off by 45% to a 60-cent premium to U.S. crude futures . Light Louisiana Sweet from the U.S. Gulf Coast has fallen by about 30% to a $2.70 per barrel premium over the same period. "That's a part of OPEC accelerating. Light sweets are weak, broadly speaking," said Jeremy Irwin, global crude lead at Energy Aspects, adding that demand is expected to fall further as European refiners favor medium crudes in the summer months. The U.S. sent 1.4 million bpd of light, sweet crude to Europe in May, versus 1.6 million bpd in April, data from Kpler showed. In May 2024, the U.S. exported 1.7 million bpd of light, sweet crude, which is lighter in density and lower in sulfur content, to Europe. While light crudes are typically easier for refineries to process, many global refineries have invested in upgrading capacity to run heavy-sour grades, which are usually cheaper and still yield sufficient quantities of higher-value fuels. As Asian refiners come out of turnaround season - when plants reduce output for maintenance purposes - and European refiners ramp up fuel production going into summer, demand for medium-sour grades has increased. Increased OPEC+ exports will primarily flow into Asia. Lower prices for Murban crude produced in the United Arab Emirates have made it unprofitable to export WTI to Asia, said Richard Price, an oil markets analyst at Energy Aspects. OPEC+ is increasing output more quickly than expected this year to punish allies such as Kazakhstan, which has produced well above its OPEC+ target. "The rise in Kazakh crude production means greater availability of CPC blend crude, which is increasingly competing with WTI into Europe," said Matt Smith, a lead oil analyst at Kpler. CPC Blend is light density crude, similar to WTI-Midland. Additionally, Guyana and Brazil's exports into Europe could increase from the 400,000 bpd they each already send, if European refiners can absorb it, Smith said. Other sweet grades including barrels from Libya and Algeria, and Norway's new Johan Castberg stream, are giving European refiners more choice, Vortexa analyst Rohit Rathod said. Global petroleum consumption is expected to grow by 970,000 bpd in 2025 and 900,000 bpd in 2026, the EIA said, while global crude production is expected to grow by 840,000 bpd in 2025 and 680,000 bpd in 2026. But demand growth currently is mainly fueled by oil products that are best refined from heavier barrels, said Janiv Shah, vice president of commodity markets at Rystad Energy. "As such, we expect increased throughput of available medium sour barrels and some discounting of light sweet grades."
New Statesman
28 minutes ago
- New Statesman
Britain's gift to Putin
Photo byOn Wednesday, Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Russia has now used more than 27,000 aerial bombs, more than 11,000 armed drones and thousands more guided munitions to attack Ukraine. Among the victims of this week's attacks were an emergency worker, his wife and their one-year-old grandson, the 632nd child killed in Ukraine since Russia's invasion. And yet British businesses continue to enable the Russian state to secure its main source of income: revenue from oil and gas. New research shared exclusively with the New Statesman has found that since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, more than £200bn in Russian fossil fuel exports have been shipped using UK-based maritime services. A single UK-based firm has carried almost a quarter of Russia's exports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) since the war began. While our government seeks to increase its defence budget, Britain's active role in the Russian fossil fuel trade helps to maintain the military spending of a nuclear power currently at war with a close European ally. The study, which has been conducted by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), finds that the value of Russian crude oil, oil products and LNG shipped under British ownership or insurance since the war began has now reached £205.8bn. Three quarters of Russian LNG carriers were covered by UK insurance. Britain officially stopped importing Russian oil and oil products nine months after the invasion (it became illegal to do so on 5 December 2022). But a sanctions loophole means Britain keeps buying Putin's products: Russian crude is shipped to refineries in Turkey and India and then returns as oil products. CREA estimates that the UK has indirectly bought £1.4bn in Russian oil through this loophole, providing more than half a billion pounds' worth of revenue to the Kremlin. Much of the jet fuel taking British holidaymakers to sunnier climes this summer will have entered the supply chain in the oilfields of Siberia. Europe continues to buy Russian LNG directly, and in 2024 imported more LNG from Russia than ever before. Much of this is shipped, entirely legally, by a single British company: Seapeak, which is headquartered in Glasgow and which owns seven specialist LNG carriers, which can power through ice two metres thick. This is not subject to a ban and there is no suggestion that Seapeak has broken any laws. Seapeak was mentioned in an Early Day Motion on Russian LNG, which was signed by 34 cross-party MPs in January. CREA says that Seapeak alone has carried Russian LNG worth £13bn since the war began. Elsewhere, Russian fossil fuels are also shipped by a 'dark fleet' of uninsured vessels, whose ownership is obscured. As previously reported, these ships pass in sight of our shores on an almost daily basis as they sail through the English Channel. Since Labour came to power, the UK government has taken a more determined stance towards sanctioning these ships and those who enable their sale, including an accountant who allegedly arranged for the sale of vessels. A government spokesperson told the New Statesman: 'We are working with G7 and EU partners to eliminate remaining dependencies on Russian energy as soon as possible. We will not hesitate to take further action to increase economic pressure on Putin.' Why can't we stop paying Putin immediately? In a word: inflation. If Western countries entirely quit the Russian oil and gas habit, the wholesale price of energy would spike in a similar manner to 2022, bringing the price of almost everything else with it. The last inflationary surge cost the UK government £67bn in a single year in additional spending in support for consumers and businesses, and the population still endured a historic rise in the cost of living accompanied by strikes across the public sector. No government is going to impose that upon its voters, and even if it did, it wouldn't last long. Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month Subscribe This doesn't mean there is nothing the UK can do. Energy analysts say it is a question of supply: when the oil and gas market has enough capacity to make a sudden drop in Russian fossil fuels less important, sanctions can be imposed and enforced. The pragmatic answer is probably then to secure LNG and crude from other countries. The most realistic answer to this problem therefore comes from productive diplomacy with the US for LNG, and Saudi Arabia and others for oil. In the long term, of course, it means not relying on fossil fuels, because we don't have enough to power our country. Amid all the talk of how much we're going to spend on our military, it's important we also try to avoid paying for our enemy's. [See also: Revealed: how the City of London keeps Putin's oil flowing] Related
Reuters
an hour ago
- Reuters
New EU-Ukraine agri trade quotas to be 'in between' current deal and wartime exemptions
BRUSSELS, June 6 (Reuters) - The European Union and Ukraine are negotiating a new deal that will set import quotas on agricultural goods from Ukraine somewhere "in between" current levels and the temporary exemptions granted after Russia's 2022 invasion, the EU's agriculture commissioner told Reuters. The EU temporarily waived duties and quotas on agricultural products in June 2022 after Russia's full-scale invasion to help Ukraine compensate for the higher costs of its exports, after Russia threatened its traditional Black Sea shipping lanes. Those tariff suspensions expired on Thursday. The EU and Ukraine reverted to the pre-war regime of trade quotas on Friday, while the two sides negotiate a new longer-term deal - in which Brussels is seeking to strike a balance between supporting Ukraine in its war with Russia, and heeding European farmers' concerns about cheaper Ukrainian imports. "What will be negotiated will be something in between the quotas under the existing DCFTA and the autonomous trade measures, the volumes that have been exported there," EU agriculture commissioner Christophe Hansen said in an interview with Reuters on Thursday. The DCFTA refers to Ukraine and the EU's pre-war trade deal. The EU's "autonomous trade measures" temporarily suspended quotas on Ukrainian imports from 2022. Ukraine's farm minister Vitaliy Koval told Reuters this week that Kyiv was pushing for an agreement on higher quotas than it had before the war. EU farmers have complained that large shipments of cheaper Ukrainian sugar imports under the wartime tariff exemptions have undercut local supplies. The EU triggered "emergency brakes" to re-impose quotas on products including sugar and eggs in the past year, in response to surging imports. The EU's Ukrainian sugar imports soared to 400,000 tons in the 2022/23 season and over 500,000 tons in 2023/24, far exceeding the pre-war quota of 20,000 tons. Hansen said the new quotas on sugar would be "significantly higher" than those under the pre-war arrangements. "I think we can absorb a certain amount of those products," he said, while noting sensitivities around sugar, poultry and eggs. Negotiations on the new EU-Ukraine deal started on June 2. Hansen said it was feasible a deal could be reached by summer. "It depends now on both sides, I think technically that could be feasible," he said. Agricultural goods accounted for about 60% of Ukraine's total exports last year, with the EU buying around 60% of those goods, worth about $15 billion. A senior Ukrainian lawmaker said last month the loss of tariff-free access to the EU market could cost the country 3.5 billion euros ($3.99 billion) in annual revenue. "Our solidarity with Ukraine is as firm as ever, and therefore we are very committed to deliver this agreement as quickly as possible," Hansen said. The pre-war quota regime, which applies as of Friday, also includes lighter rules on import licenses for some goods like poultry and eggs, where instead of requiring licenses, quotas will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. ($1 = 0.8763 euros)
