Ryanair and Wizz Air to Pay the Price for New Baggage Rules
Tuesday, 26 Feb 2019
Budget airlines Ryanair and Wizz Air have both been hit with fines following the introduction of their new hand luggage policies last year. Together they are being forced to pay €3 million.
In November, 2018 Ryanair and Wizz Air introduced new hand luggage policies which meant customers were only allowed to bring a small personal item on board for free, and had to pay a fee to take a larger item onto the plane.
These changes have been deemed unfair by the Italian Competition Authority, the AGCM. As a result, the watchdog requested that the two airlines remove their new baggage policies. This has not taken, place, however, and the airlines are now being asked to pay hefty fines.
The AGCM feels that the new hand luggage policies mislead customers, arguing that hand luggage is a basic element of air travel and that passengers should not have to pay for the privilege. The watchdog also suggests that supplementary fees should be presented to the customer upfront and not further along in the booking process. It is this lack of transparency that has led the watchdog to impose such punitive fines.
Both airlines are appealing the AGCM’s decision, arguing that their policies are lawful and, according to Ryanair, ‘beneficial to customers’.
Confused about Ryanair and Wizz Air’s baggage polices? Find out all you need to know here:
Don't forget, you can ship your luggage with Send My Bag and avoid airline baggage fees and restrictions altogether.
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