Ryanair must reimburse passenger 150 euros in fees for 10-kilogram suitcases

A Spanish court has ruled that Ryanair must reimburse a passenger £124, or just under €150. The plaintiff had paid additional fees for hand luggage on five flights.

The judges argue that, according to a 2014 ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union, hand luggage is an "indispensable part of the journey" and therefore no additional charges should be made.

• According to the airline's fee schedule, carrying a 20-kilogram suitcase costs up to 59.99 euros.
• According to Statista , the average flight price in 2024 is 66 euros.
• This means that transporting a person only costs six euros more than transporting a suitcase.

The EU Court confirmed this practice in its 2014 ruling. However, the ruling in the current case found that Ryanair's adherence to the hand luggage fee schedule was "reckless" and would force passengers to sue – knowing that most customers would shy away from doing so. According to the Daily Mail , the airline must reimburse the injured party for the fees and cover the legal costs.

Isaac Guijarro, the plaintiff's lawyer, praised the ruling to the newspaper as a "great victory for travelers." He cited Article 97 of Spanish aviation law during the lawsuit, which requires airlines to transport passengers and their hand luggage free of charge. According to the lawyer, this includes the standard cabin suitcase measuring 55 × 35 × 25 centimeters and weighing 10 kilograms.

According to the Daily Mail, lawyer Guijarro summarizes the ruling, saying it shows that "Ryanair cannot get away with treating passengers like walking ATMs." The airline, however, cites EU law, which allows providers to set their prices freely. A spokesperson also stated: "Ryanair allows each passenger to take a generously sized (40 × 25 × 20 centimeters) personal bag on board." This complies with EU law.

In Germany, there are no specific regulations regarding baggage fees. This could complicate a lawsuit. However, anyone willing to take the risk is theoretically within their rights. Several lawsuits against Ryanair have made headlines in recent years:

• In September 2024, the airline had to reimburse 56.50 euros following a ruling in Portugal.
• On Thursday, the Belgian consumer protection authority also announced that it intends to take action against Ryanair over baggage fees.
• Things got really expensive last year in Spain, where Ryanair received a fine of 150 million euros.

A restaurant in Navan, Ireland, treated Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary to a humorous welcome and presented him with a special bill . In addition to his ordered food and drinks, he was charged fees such as "extra legroom" for €7.95 and "preferred seating" for €9.95. A "quiet area reservation" was also listed at €19.95.

The restaurant shared a photo of the bill and a picture with O'Leary on social media. "Thank you to Michael O'Leary," the restaurant captioned it. "It was a pleasure serving you." It is unknown whether O'Leary paid the additional charges.