Spain has taken official action to block Ryanair’s new baggage rules that will force passengers to pay for carry-ons that used to be free. It charges the new rules violate Spain’s Air Navigation Law.
Ryanair typically makes much of its income from fees for checked bags, for priority boarding, for food, and for nearly anything else it can. For the past few years, it has allowed a free small-suitcase-sized carry-on, as well as a smaller piece that can fit under a seat.
In recent months, it’s been juggling the rules, sometimes confusingly, to restrict the total number of carry-ons on a flight, and now restricting free carry-ons to those who pay a premium priority-boarding fee. In all the back-and-forth, it has become clear that many who haven’t paid fees will now have to, whether for the bag or the priority boarding that includes it.
Spain’s consumer-protection agency, Facua-Consumers in Action, has filed with the State Aviation Safety Agency, saying that the law requires free passage for hand luggage and packages except for unsafe items and things that are too big.
That’s a rule that has obviously not been applied to all carriers in Spain, but Facua insists that Ryanair’s rule causes “serious harm to consumers, violates their rights and breaches the basic conditions of the air transport contract.”
UPDATE, SEPT. 7
Ryanair’s baggage policy issues continue in turmoil. In addition to the general issue raised by Spain over its laws, Belgian officials complained that passengers did not receive sufficient notice, and that the rules were being enforced on tickets that had been purchased previously.
In a move that may be a response to those complaints, Ryanair has now announced it will refund its €8 priority fee for some 50,000 passengers and will issue several thousand vouchers for a free bag check. The details, from the Irish Independent, can be read HERE