Ryanair has been hit with a massive fine over its new baggage policy that was introduced back in November.
The Italian Competition Authority (AGCM) issued a fine of €3 million to the budget airline and Wizz Air was also fined €1 millon.
Ryanair’s latest strict baggage rules mean that passengers can only bring a small personal bag on board unless they pay extra.
Anyone who tries to bring a carry-on suitcase onto the flight without paying extra or adding priority boarding has to pay €25 to have it put into the hold once they get to their gate.
The AGCM asked both airlines to suspend their new policies last autumn but they have since remained in place and an investigation was opened in both cases.
A statement from AGCM read, ‘Hand baggage is an essential element of the air transport service and its transport must be permitted without incurring any additional costs.
‘In fact, also on the basis of the European legislation on air transport, the foreseeable and unavoidable supplements must be included in the price of the basic service presented since the first contact and, therefore, can not be separated from this with the request for further sums.
‘Hence the deception for consumers, as the price to be paid at the end of the booking process will almost always be higher than the tariff presented at the beginning of the process.’
