In a bold move to protect consumer rights and ease the financial burden on air travelers, the Generalitat de Catalunya, through its Consumer Agency, has begun cracking down on airlines that charge passengers for carry-on baggage.
The Agency has already imposed fines totaling 706,808 euros on 18 companies for violating passenger rights and plans to continue monitoring and sanctioning this practice.
Albert Melià, director of the Consumer Agency, states that “the Agency considers this practice to be abusive and a violation of consumer rights”.
He stressed that although the European Union has yet to regulate this matter and establish clear and common criteria for all airlines, the Agency will continue to sanction this practice.
However, these penalties will only apply to domestic flights, where Spanish regulations prevail, not to international flights.
Hand baggage fees prohibited on domestic flights
Spanish air navigation regulations prohibit extra charges for carry-on baggage, according to the Consumer Agency. “Until the European Union regulates this issue and establishes clear and common criteria for all airlines, we will continue to penalize this practice,” added Melià.
It is important to note that these penalties will only apply to domestic flights where Spanish regulations are in force, not to international flights.
The issue is currently under discussion in the European Union. The European Parliament recently passed a non-binding resolution urging the European Commission to prohibit airlines from charging an additional fee for carry-on baggage.
However, the Commission has not yet addressed the issue. Meanwhile, the Spanish Ministry of Consumer Affairs launched investigations against several airlines for this reason in August.
In the period 2021-2023, the Consumer Agency has fined 18 airlines operating in Catalan airports a total of 706,808 euros for various violations of passenger rights.
These fines arose from the resolution of 4,781 complaints related to flight cancellations, delays and additional charges for carry-on baggage. Vueling topped the list with the most complaints (1,384), followed by Ryanair (1,115). However, these two airlines also carried the largest number of passengers.
Vueling alone transported 43 million passengers at El Prat, with a market share of 42% during the period analyzed by the Consumer Agency.
European legislation
Javier Gándara, president of the airline association ALA, argues that European legislation allows companies to set their fares freely.
He argues that charging for carry-on baggage “gives passengers choice because they pay for services they actually use.” The unbundling of services in airline tickets, he adds, has made flying “more affordable.”
