In Spain They're serious about protecting consumers, especially against low-cost airlines, which never miss an opportunity to squeeze travelers by inflating fares well above even the standard level.
The Spanish Ministry of Social Rights and Consumer Affairs fined five airlines (Ryanair, Vueling, Easyjet, Norwegian, and Volotea) totaling €179 million for a series of unfair practices. In particular, Spanish government regulators targeted extra charges for seats, printed tickets, and baggage. These amounts were deemed unjustified and disproportionate. They were applied for simple extra carry-on baggage, and even to allow a disabled person's companion to sit next to them on the plane. Additional charges also included the cost of printing boarding passes and the extremely poor transparency of prices offered by airlines' online sales platforms. In this case, the charges were based on all those hidden costs that prevent customers from easily comparing prices across multiple airlines. More than 60 percent of the massive fine was imposed on Ryanair, totaling €197 million.
Read also:
- Ryanair is no longer a low-cost airline
- Planes, trains, and buses: Christmas speculation
- The Volotea plane accumulated a three-hour delay to repair an engine with tape, with passengers on board (photo)
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