Consumer groups want airlines to pay for baggage fees 'distress'

The enactment by the user groups names easyJet, Norwegian, Ryanair, Transavia, Volotea, Vueling and Wizz Air. Photo: GREG BAKER / AFP/File
Source: AFP

Sixteen European user groups connected Wednesday called connected the European Union to instrumentality enactment against 7 low-cost airlines implicit their baggage fees.

The European Consumer Organisation, BEUC, which has overseen the initiative, accuses airlines of "misleading" passengers and creating "confusion" and "distress" astatine check-ins with their antithetic policies.

The enactment by the user groups names easyJet, Norwegian, Ryanair, Transavia, Volotea, Vueling and Wizz Air.

Passengers can wage up to 280 euros ($315) to instrumentality connected a suitcase, depending connected the airline, according to the user groups. They accidental that the fees and policies imposed by the airlines breach European Union aviation regulations and European Court of Justice rulings.

The groups, which travel from 12 EU nations, person sought an probe by the European Commission and nationalist user authorities successful EU states. They besides demanded sanctions for the "illegal" practices.

The BEUC said that a modular luggage allowance should beryllium included successful a level summons price.

The airlines were chiefly unrepentant.

Ryanair said successful a connection that it "welcomed" the complaint, which it predicted would "confirm that Ryanair's bags argumentation afloat complies with EU Law", which "grants each EU airlines the state to acceptable prices, including prices of optional services".

Norwegian besides said it believed its rules were successful enactment with EU regulations. "Norwegian is committed to offering harmless and affordable travel, and our baggage argumentation reflects this," the hose said, adding that the interest rules were "essential for managing value and constricted abstraction connected board, ensuring rider safety, and maintaining punctuality".

Transavia, a subsidiary of Air France-KLM, and Volotea, referred to a connection by the industry assemblage Airlines for Europe, which said: "The enactment taken contiguous by user organisations would alteration user prime and oblige each passengers to wage for further services that they whitethorn not each need."

Source: AFP