Cheap airlines
Consumer advocates want to proceed against hand luggage fee
If you want to take larger hand luggage on cheap flights, you often have to pay. This exploits passengers, say consumer protection groups – and prompt the EU to act.
On many flights, there is an additional fee for hand luggage from a certain size – consumer protection groups, on the other hand, now want to submit an official complaint to the EU Commission. The airlines would exploit their customers with this practice, the European Consumer Protection Dachverband BeuC said in Brussels.
The German Consumer Consumer Consumer Association (VZBV) also participates in the national initiative. Specifically, the complaint is directed against seven airlines – including Ryanair, Easyjet and Wizz Air. These allow the free part of a small hand luggage piece that usually has to fit below the seat.
EU court: Appropriate hand luggage must be free
The umbrella organization refers to a judgment of the European Court of Justice in 2014. Accordingly, no additional fee should be charged for hand luggage, as long as it fulfills “reasonable requirements” to the size and weight. The EU regulations have not yet regulated exactly where this limit is.
From the point of view of consumer advocates, the limits of the airlines mentioned are not appropriate and therefore illegal. They asked the EU to introduce more precise regulations: this should be determined, up to which size a piece of hand luggage is considered appropriate and which services a ticket must include. The planned reform of the passenger rights regulation, which the EU countries are currently advising on, is the “perfect opportunity,” said BeUC Director General Agustín Reyna.
dpa
Source: Stern
