Budget airline easyJet has been reported to the Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs and Agenda 2030 in Spain over its booking system for checked luggage on return flights. The current practice could force certain passengers to pay for a service that they do not actually require on both legs of their journey.
The complaint, which was submitted by the consumer protection association Facua, argues that when making a booking through the airline’s website, travellers are able to add checked bags of various weights by paying a supplement. However, this luggage option is automatically applied to both the outbound and the return flight, even in cases where the passenger only wishes to check a bag for one of the two journeys.
According to the information submitted to the ministry, the system does not allow customers to select luggage independently for each leg of the trip. This means that individuals who only need to check a bag on the outward journey or solely on the return flight end up facing an additional cost for an ancillary service that they have not explicitly requested for the other flight.
Furthermore, the association maintains that whilst the company indicates during the purchase process that the displayed price corresponds to each flight, the charge is automatically added to both legs. It also states that a clarification appears alongside the amount, noting that prices are calculated based on the average of all flights included in the booking.
The controversy centres on whether this method of booking complies with consumer protection regulations. Spanish legislation dictates that additional costs must be presented clearly before a purchase is finalised, and views practices that lack explicit consent and cause an unfair imbalance to the detriment of the user as abusive.
This complaint coincides with a recent investigation launched in Italy into alleged irregularities regarding online bookings for checked luggage with the low-cost carrier. In Spain, Facua has requested that the ministry analyse the case to determine whether passenger rights have been breached, and if necessary, compel the airline to alter its system so that luggage can be booked separately for each leg of a journey.
