Ryanair, Europe’s largest airline, is facing something of a legal backlash after a Spanish court ruled that the low-cost airline must refund hand luggage fees it unlawfully charged across multiple flights. Spain has been taking an increasingly decisive stand to protect passengers’ rights, and this latest decision handed down by a regional court in Salamanca is being seen by industry observers as the next stage in the country’s battle to protect consumer rights in the travel sector and to outlaw unfair practices.
Put simply, this most recent decision recognizes hand luggage as an essential part of air travel and does not exist as a chargeable extra. The most recent ruling came from a court in Salamanca, which held the budget airline to account for charging a passenger additional fees for carrying hand luggage on board a Ryanair flight. According to the court, such luggage is integral to air travel and should be included in the base fare, not treated as an optional extra or ancillary item.
The decision highlights Spain’s crackdown on what it deems to be unfair practices faced by the consumer and unequivocally says that airlines operating in Spain must align their fares and pricing structures with the country’s air travel regulations, which prioritize consumer rights and transparency in all applications. While the ruling may not be binding beyond Spain or in other parts of the European Union, the decision could be seen as a landmark ruling that domestically could have major ramifications for all those budget airlines operating in Spain that employ such practices.
This latest case heard in Salamanca involved a passenger who was charged the equivalent of $160 in separate fees for bringing hand luggage on five different flights operated between 2019 and 2024. The court determined that charging for hand baggage is unjustifiable in any event and consequently ruled that the airline had to reimburse the traveller for the cumulative cost of any additional fees they had accumulated through the practice. Providing clarity on its decision, so that other courts may follow the precedent being set out, hand luggage, which typically includes a small suitcase or carry-on bag, is an essential item for passengers and should not be monetized separately.
The Salamanca court’s decision comes as the latest legal blow for low-cost airlines operating in Spain and follows a series of other rulings by Spanish courts where airline passengers have successfully contested the legitimacy of extra baggage fees charged by budget carriers. In another recent case, two passengers filed a complaint after being charged additional fees for hand luggage and received a judgment in their favor. Both outcomes from these two cases are being seen as indicative of how Spanish courts view hand luggage as a non-negotiable part of the travel experience rather than a premium service, and are laying down case law to that effect.
Legal commentators suggest that at the heart of the argument is whether budget airlines can redefine basic passenger entitlements in an attempt to lower headline fares and charge extra for elements traditionally included in the ticket price. To date, the legal system in Spain has rejected that notion, with the latest rulings staying very much on the side of the passengers and protecting them from deceptive or non-transparent pricing structures that can lead to unexpected or ‘hidden’ costs.
What does Ryanair say?
While many see the rulings as a victory for both the consumer and for common sense, the ripple effect from the cases could have far wide implications for the country’s air travel sector as a whole. With more passengers seeking legal redress for baggage fees, airlines may have to revise their pricing strategies entirely, especially in regard to flights operating ti or from Spain.
For budget airlines, which largely rely on unbundled pricing models to increase ancillary revenue streams, the result could mean an increase in fares to cover the cost of passengers traveling with carry-on baggage. Following the latest court ruling, Ryanair is holding firm that its baggage rules remain compliant with EU air policies, and are fully legal – a stance which other courts in Spain have agreed with .
Speaking on the matter, a Ryanair spokesperson said that “Ryanair allows each passenger to carry a generous (40x25x20 cm) personal bag on board free as part of its basic air fare, with the option to add extra bags for an optional fee should they so wish. This policy promotes both low fares and consumer choice, and is fully compliant with EU law, as upheld by several recent Spanish court rulings, including in Coruña, Segovia, Ontinyent, Seville, and Madrid.”
