Consumer Affairs sanctions five airlines with 179 million euros for abusive practices

The Ministry of Consumer Affairs Pablo Bustinduy has been sanctioned for an amount of 179 million euros to five airlines (Ryanair, Vueling, Easyjet, Norwegian and Volotea) for abusive practices, such as charging extras for hand luggage or for reserving adjacent seats to accompany dependent people.

The highest sanction is for Ryanair with 107,775,777 eurosfollowed by Vueling, with 39,264,412, behind Easyjet with 29,094,441, Norwegian, with 1,610,001 euros, and Volotea with 1,189,000 euros, according to Ministry sources.

This is the first time that sanctions classified as very serious have been given finality by the General State Administration in the field of consumption, whose Ministry acquired sanctioning jurisdiction in June 2022. The fines also include the express prohibition to continue with the practices that have been sanctioned.

Specifically, they have been require payment of a supplement for the transportation of hand luggage in the cabinof an extra cost on the price of the ticket for the reservation of adjacent seats in the case of minors and dependent people and his companions, and for do not allow cash payment in Spanish airports.

Also for imposing a disproportionate and abusive rate on passengers for the boarding pass printingmisleading omissions of information and lack of clarity in the prices published both on its own website and on third parties, making it difficult to compare price offers to consumers and their decision making.

Consumption explains that to guarantee the proportionality and effectiveness of the sanctions imposed, as well as their deterrent effect, the calculation of the punishments has been carried out using the criterion of illicit benefit obtained. That is to say, calculating the fine based on the profits obtained for infringing practices.

As established by the sanctioning regime for practices classified as very serious, the fines imposed could reach up to between six and eight times the illicit benefit obtained when this exceeds the amounts of the stipulated fines (between 100,001 and 1,000,000 euros).

With the order signed by Pablo Bustinduy, the sanctions proposed by the General Secretariat of Consumption and Gaming months ago and, therefore, the appeals filed by these companies are dismissed.

Companies can file contentious-administrative appeal before the Administrative Litigation Chamber of the National Court within a period of two months. Once this period has passed, if the companies have not filed an appeal before the Court, the order will be effective.