The European Union Parliament has passed a resolution to outlaw fees for hand luggage and seat allocation, aiming to eliminate hidden costs and standardize inconsistent airline policies. The European Commission has been asked to present concrete policy measures against hand luggage price supplements and establish “reasonable” carry-on baggage weights and dimensions.
To address hidden passenger costs, the European Commission is expected to revise the existing EU Air Services Regulation and regulate the composition of the final price, including fees for seat allocations and complex luggage offers. The aim is to implement a European Court of Justice ruling that prohibits additional charges for reasonable hand baggage that meets weight, dimension, and security requirements.
EU member states have been urged to respect a 2014 court ruling and disclose hand luggage fees when providing fares and schedules, strengthening consumer protection. In a case involving Vueling, court found that airlines should not charge a supplement for carry-on bags “on condition that such hand baggage meets reasonable requirements in terms of its weight and dimensions and complies with applicable security requirements”.
In Spain, an investigation into hand luggage fees by low-cost carriers is underway, while in the United States, Frontier Airlines is facing a class-action lawsuit over alleged deceptive practices related to luggage fees after it charged a passenger USD100 for an oversized personal carry-on item.
