European consumption associations return to charge. Two months ago, around forty of them called Brussels to “remain on the side of consumers” in the conflict between certain countries of the European Union against low -cost airlines, accused of abusive commercial practices. Today, 16 members of the European Office of Consumer Unions (BEUC), including UFC-Que Choisir and the CLCV on the French side, confiscated the European Commission and the network of consumer protection authorities (CPC), including the French DGCCRF.
In question, the policy of billing seven airlines: Easyjet, Norvegian, Ryanair, Transavia, Volotea, Vueling and Wizzir. After numerous complaints of consumers on this issue, the associations have examined the sites of several airlines and arose from the analysis that these September to apply the costs of reasonable size luggage: 23 euros per flight with volotea, 36 euros next to Ryanair or almost 43 euros in Easyjet.
An even more disputed commercial practice as the dimensions of the “small” or “accepted luggage vary from one company to another. And in case of breach of these dimensions, travelers can invoke costs of up to 280 euros.
A fine of 179 million euros inflicted by Madrid six months ago
Therefore, the BEUC is based on a decision of the Court of Justice of the European Union that had judged in 2014 that the luggage of the cabin was a “necessary element of passenger transport” and, therefore, should not be subject to additional costs, provided that it respects reasonable dimensions. The European Consumer Unions Office calls Brussels and the CPC authorities to intervene so that a survey is diligent at the community level and that the commercial practices of the airlines in this area are sanctioned.
At the end of November, Spain had already inflicted on a fine of 179 million euros in five low -cost companies (Ryanair, Vueling, Easyjet, Volotea and Norwegian), sanctioned to bill the hand luggage of the passengers and collect the choice of siege to travelers who accompany dependent people. These fines had been reported by IATA, an organization that brings together more than 330 airlines, but also by Ryanair: the Irish group, which only received a fine of 107 million euros, had decided to challenge these fines, described as “illegal”, before the European justice.
“The airplanes are full, we cannot transport an unlimited number of hand luggage,” he insisted on Ryanair Chief Michael O’Leary, who since then has stopped attacking the Spanish consumer minister, Pablo Bustindy, described as “Crazy Communist” and chosen “naive”.
Source: BFM TV
