RYANAIR’S policy of charging extra fees has been ruled as ‘abusive’ by a Spanish court.
A passenger complained about the policy, which was introduced last year and charged people additional fees for bringing any more than one personal item into the cabin.
The passenger launched proceedings after she was force €20 to bring her 10kg luggage on board the flight from Madrid to Brussels,
The budget airline allows only small bags onto the cabin, provided they can be placed under the seat. Larger bags, weighing a maximum of 10kg, require a luggage fee.
The court ordered Ryanair to refund her the €20 plus interest.
The court, however, rejected the passenger’s demands for an additional €10 for the suffering experienced.
The judge ruled that the hand luggage could be easily have been carried in the cabin. The judge said the the charge – which she deemed ‘invalid’ in Spain – was abusive and ‘curtailed the rights that the passenger has recognised by law’.
The ruling cannot be appealed.
In a statement, Ryanair said: “This ruling will not affect Ryanair’s baggage policy, as it misquoted the [European Court of Justice] and misinterpreted the airlines’ commercial freedom to determine the size of their cabin baggage.”