Austria’s Association for Consumer Information has filed a lawsuit against Ryanair on behalf of the Ministry of Social Affairs complaining about additional fees and hidden costs.
The Ministry alleges that Ryanair charges unauthorised additional fees for carry-on luggage sizes, online check-in, and fees for families traveling with children.
The association lists fifteen points in which the budget airline may be charging unauthorised additional fees in response to complaints from passengers, which have “recently increased significantly.”
The Ministry claims allowed size of carry-on luggage does not correspond to the standard and that additional fees apply to consumers at the airport if the sizes are exceeded. In addition, the free online check-in at Ryanair is only possible between 24 hours and two hours before departure. After that, the airline charges a fee of €55, which is “grossly disadvantageous.”
The Ministry also considers fees that families have to pay to be unacceptable and highlights an “infant fee” of €25, even if the child sits on the adult’s lap during the flight. The budget airline charges parents a fee for seat reservations so that they can sit next to their minor children.
The VKI is also targeting Austrian, a Lufthansa subsidiary, for charging five euros for ticket issuance and fees for refunding flight prices.
Both airlines have clauses in their terms and conditions that are deemed disadvantageous to consumers, such as charging fees for refunds and excluding certain costs from refunds.
