Airlines are increasingly charging passengers to bring a standard cabin suitcase on board, with fees ranging from €6 to €75 per person. Euroconsumers argues these charges break EU law: they undermine price transparency and contradict a 2014 European Court of Justice ruling that reasonable hand luggage is a necessary part of air travel. Following a complaint by OCU, Spain fined Vueling, easyJet, Ryanair and Volotea €150 million. Through its “Not Without My Hand Luggage” action, Euroconsumers calls on airlines to stop these charges and refund passengers who have already paid.
Not without my hand luggage
Squeezing your travel essentials into a tiny underseat bag just to avoid extra charges has become a familiar part of flying. Airlines have started charging passengers for reasonably sized hand luggage, the kind of small cabin case that has always fitted in the overhead locker.
What this means in practice for passengers?
For years, a cabin bag of around 56 x 45 x 25 cm was considered perfectly reasonable. Only recently have airlines, one after another, introduced fees for it, varying by demand, route and travel date, from €6 to €75 per person.
The strategy seems clear: first, airlines encouraged passengers to give up checked luggage to save time and money; then, once travellers had become used to carrying everything on board, they began charging for that too. Together with fees for basics such as seat reservations or printed boarding passes, these charges make headline fares misleadingly cheap and comparing airlines almost impossible.
Hand luggage charges break the law
These charges are not only frustrating and unfair, they are unlawful. EU rules require airlines to show the full final price of a flight upfront, including all unavoidable charges. Hidden fees undermine this transparency and stop consumers from finding the best deal.
In 2014, the European Court of Justice also ruled that hand luggage is a necessary part of passenger transport and cannot be subject to a price supplement, as long as it meets reasonable weight, size and security requirements. That ruling was never properly enforced, leaving the door open to today’s pricing tactics.
Time to enforce
Euroconsumers’ members are fighting back. Following a complaint by OCU, the Spanish consumer ministry fined Vueling, easyJet, Ryanair and Volotea a total of €150 million for illegal cabin luggage charges and ordered them to stop. In Belgium, Test-Achats/Test-Aankoop is awaiting the outcome of similar complaints lodged with national authorities.
Time to refund
Fines alone are not enough: passengers need their money back. Euroconsumers has formally addressed Vueling, easyJet, Ryanair, Volotea and Wizz Air with two clear demands: allow passengers to travel with reasonably sized hand luggage at no extra cost, and refund those who have already been unfairly charged.
As part of the “Not Without My Hand Luggage” action, Euroconsumers’ organisations are informing passengers of their rights and urging them to keep their tickets and receipts for future refund claims. Test-Achats/Test-Aankoop also took the campaign to Brussels Airport, handing out flyers and stickers to travellers.
Our call
Charging passengers for the privilege of bringing a small case on board is a step too far. Euroconsumers will keep a close eye on airlines and continue to push until hand luggage is treated as what it is: a basic part of travel, not a paid extra.
Letters, complaints and collective actions, with the documents that back them.
