Ryanair has said the ruling won’t affect its baggage policy.
A Spanish court on Wednesday ruled Ryanair could no longer charge an extra fee for hand luggage in Spain, calling the fee “abusive”.
In a ruling issued last month but published on Wednesday, the Commercial Court said the budget carrier must repay the €20 fee plus interest it had imposed on a female passenger flying from Madrid to Brussels for taking a small suitcase of up to 10kg.
The airline only allows small bags into the cabin if they can be stowed under the seat in front. Any larger bags of up to 10kg require a luggage fee, or else a priority boarding pass, which is more expensive than a regular boarding pass.
The judge condemned the airline for forcing the passenger to pay a supplement at the time of boarding “for the simple fact of carrying a carry-on bag that, by size and weight, could be perfectly transported in the cabin.”
She said the the fee was “abusive” and it curtailed “the rights that the passenger has recognised by law” and banned Ryanair from implementing the fee in Spain.
Ryanair has said the ruling will not affect its baggage policy.
“This ruling will not affect Ryanair’s baggage policy, either in the past or in the future, as it is an isolated case that misinterpreted our commercial freedom to determine the size of our cabin baggage,” Ryanair said in a statement.
JOE has reached out to Ryanair for further comment on the matter.
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