Spain’s government said Friday five low-cost airlines have been fined $186.32 million for what Minister of Social Rights Pablo Bustinduy said were abusive practices like charging more for hand luggage or reserving adjacent seats to accompany dependent persons.
Fined were Ryanair, Vueling, Easyjet, Norwegian and Volotea. File photo EPA-EFE/Stringer/UPI
Nov. 22 (UPI) — Spain’s government said Friday five low-cost airlines have been fined $186.32 million for what Minister of Social Rights Pablo Bustinduy said were abusive practices like charging more for hand luggage or reserving adjacent seats to accompany dependent persons.
The sanctioned airlines are Ryanair ($112,183,593.16), Vueling ($40,874,742.57), Easyjet ($30,290,803.51), Norwegian ($1,676,204.19) and Volotea ($1,237,990.35).
The fines were proposed by Spain’s General Secretariat for Consumption and Gaming.
“Through a signed order, Pablo Bustinduy has confirmed the sanctions proposed by the General Secretariat for Consumption and Gaming, and has therefore rejected the appeals filed by these companies,” Spain’s Ministry of Social Rights, Consumption and Agenda 2030 said in a statement.
The ministry added, “This is the first time that sanctions classified as very serious have been enforced by the General State Administration in the field of consumer affairs, whose ministry acquired sanctioning powers in June 2022.”
According to the Spanish government, the budget airlines were fined for charging extra for carry-on bags, for reserving adjacent seats on planes for minors and dependent people, not allowing cash payments at Spanish airports, imposing “a disproportionate and abusive fee” for printing boarding passes, and for misleading omissions of information and lack of clarity in prices published online making it difficult for passengers to compare price offers.
Ryanair was also fined for charging “a disproportionate amount” for printing tickets when passengers don’t have them at terminals.
The fines were calculated based on the benefits the airlines realized from the practices that drew the fines.
The airlines can file an administrative appeal within two months before Spain’s Administrative Litigation Division of the National Court. If no appeal is filed or f the appeal is rejected, the fines become final.