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The drama around hand luggage on aircraft continues. If you do not know the rules, it quickly becomes very expensive.
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The confusion around hand luggage on aircraft continues.
Last year, the companies Ryanair, Norwegian and several other companies received giant fines by the Spanish government for demanding a supplement for hand luggage.
Now it has been decided that they do not have to pay million fines for the hand luggage rules – for the time being.
A Spanish court has decided to temporarily suspend the fines, writes Reuters news agency.
In November last year, Spanish authorities distributed fines to a total value of 179 million euros (NOK 2.1 billion) to five low -price airlines.
Broke the practice
The government believed the companies broke European legislation by demanding payment for larger hand luggage and seat choices, and described the practice as a violation of customer rights, writes The Danish website Check-in.
Ryanair was by far the largest fine, of EUR 108 million (NOK 1.25 billion), while Norwegian was fined 1.6 million euros (just over NOK 18 million).
May proceed
Both Ryanair and Norwegian appealed immediately after the fines became known. The Madrid Court has not yet processed the case, and has therefore decided that the companies must not pay the fines as long as the legal process is ongoing.
This means that Ryanair and Norwegian can continue with their current hand luggage rules, despite the fact that it was these rules that triggered the fine.
Whether Norwegian will continue with today’s practice, or whether it is changed, is currently unclear.
– We will consider this within a fixed deadline, says press officer Eline Hyggen Skari to DinSide.
At the same time, the Court has decided that the two airlines must provide bank guarantees of a total of € 111.8 million (NOK 1.3 billion) while the case is being processed further.
– Restricted customers’ freedom of choice
There is more than one traveler who has been shocked by the high fees that are imposed when the luggage is greater or heavier than the rules indicate. The fee is quickly more expensive than the ticket itself.
Both Easyjet, Vueling and Volotea were also fined by the Spanish authorities for the same practice last year.
The trade organization ala In December, praised the court’s decision and believes the fines are unfounded, with the argument that they “limited the customers’ freedom of choice and distort the EU’s internal market”.
The Spanish government has previously argued that the airlines ‘practice of demanding extra for larger hand luggage and seat choices violates customers’ rights.
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