Court Reverses Ryanair’s Fine of Millions of Euros for Carryon Policy

A couple of months ago, I wrote about how an Italian agency had fined both Ryanair and Wizzair for their carryon baggage policies. This would have, effectively, prevented Ryanair from continuing their policy they enacted last year on carryon bags.

Court Reverses Ryanair’s Fine of Millions of Euros for Carryon Policy

Court Reverses Carryon Fines for Ryanair and Wizzair

Ryanair and Wizzair were given 60 days to show their new measures to bring their policies into compliance. Of course, they both had said they would take this to court. Now, an Italian court has ruled that this fine will be suspended which clears the way for Ryanair and Wizzair to continue their current carryon policies.

The Italian Competition Agency’s Original Statement

The Italian agency had released this statement back in February, stating, in part, “changes made by the two airlines to their rules for transportation of large carry-on luggage, i.e. pull-along cases, deceive the consumer about the actual price of the ticket , as this no longer includes an essential element of the air transport contract – the “large carry-on luggage”-  in the basic fare. The changes made are therefore to be regarded an unfair commercial practice.”

Downside of the Carryon Policies

The downside of the new policies with these airlines is that it has created a situation where sale prices can be shown that do not include what most people would assume would be a normal carryon bag. US airlines had walked back that basic economy requirement before but who knows how EU airlines will react with this new court ruling backing them up.

Unless you are heading out for the night, a $10 ticket on Ryanair could also cost you another $10 just for your carryon bag. In fact, in some cases, your normal carryon back could cost more to transport than it does to transport you!