In a Passenger friendly move, Fees being imposed on carry-on baggage till date , may soon be abolished following the European Union’s plans to simplify ticket pricing for air travel.
Last month, the Committee on Petitions of the European Parliament (PETI) passed a motion which, among others, urged airlines operating within the EU to ensure travellers would be eligible to bring hand luggage into the cabin without being subject to additional expenses.
"Low-cost companies are doing business with the price of tickets by hiding the supplement for carrying cabin luggage until the end of purchase. Europe has already spoken out on the matter, and even so, Member States continue to allow airlines to play with prices and deceive travellers. This must end."
The EU countries have urged to ensure compliance with this ruling and to achieve transparency on fees charged for hand luggage. European Parliament Resolution read,
"Reiterates its support for ensuring the completion of the EU legislation on air passenger rights with the objective of raising standards of protection and of information for passengers, strengthening their rights and ensuring that air carriers operate under harmonised conditions in a liberalised market, thereby facilitating the travel experience. "
"Recalls that, in accordance with the CJEU ruling[4] in case C-487/12, hand baggage (i.e. luggage that is not checked in) must be considered as constituting a ‘necessary aspect’ of the carriage of passengers on condition that such baggage meets ‘reasonable requirements’ in terms of its weight and dimensions, and that its carriage cannot, therefore, be made subject to a price supplement; urges the Member States, therefore, to ensure that this ruling is respected, and, in the meantime, to strive for transparency with regard to the disclosure of any fees charged for carry-on luggage, whenever a flight’s price and schedule information is provided, in order to strengthen consumer protection."
In the past few years, a large number of low-cost airlines introduced strict baggage rules and also charged travellers for carrying a suitcase onto the plane, according to Healthplan Magazine. At present, carriers like Ryanair permit only a small handbag or backpack for free. As for wheeled luggage, travellers are subject to an extra fee.
European Parliament Acknowledged that the primary concerns for passengers are the inconsistent policies with respect to hand luggage allowances between different airlines, which might be considered an abusive or unfair practice and which is challenging for travellers who frequently fly with different airlines or take connecting flights with different carriers, as well as the fact that not all carriers comply with the CJEU’s ruling in case C-487/12.
Prior to this, to simplify the pricing of air tickets , Spain’s Ministry of Consumer Affairs opened a file against several budget carriers related to their hand luggage policies.
The EU Court of Justice has once again reiterated that hand luggage should be considered an essential travel aspect as soon as it meets specific conditions related to its weight and dimensions.
EU aims to solve two major problems: airlines’ inconsistent policies for hand luggage and unclear advertising that could lead to hidden baggage fees when planning to buy a ticket.
Back in 2014, the European Court of Justice ruled that cabin baggage, which follows reasonable requirements for size and weight, is an essential part of air travel. In addition, it was also decided by the court that travellers should not be permitted to pay extra; however, the decision was not implemented.
Weight as well as size standards can change between different airlines. This causes problems for travellers with connecting flights on different airlines that apply different standards, thus increasing the opportunity they have to pay extra fees at the boarding gate.
European Parliament is worried about the hidden and additional costs and flight timings , as its resolution
"Considers that hidden and additional costs restrict the possibility of comparing the offers made by different airlines, which consequently limits the passenger’s ability to make an informed choice about the best offer"
