'Low-cost' airline fares can be 56 euros more expensive for taking carry-on luggage
A survey by a leading consumer association in Spain also found that around 25% of the time passengers were forced to hand over their baggage at the boarding gate for it to go in the aircraft hold, leading to delays on arrival at the destination
Low-cost airline tickets may seem a bargain at first glance, but when you add up items such as luggage, seat selection, meal deals and so on, they are not so cheap. This week the OCU organisation of consumers and users in Spain published some disturbing information after it revealed the results of a survey based on interviews with over 1,000 people who had flown in the last two years and found that hand luggage supplements raise the final price of a low-cost airline ticket by an average of 56 euros.
The fee is not always applied when the ticket is purchased and 36% of passengers pay the supplement during check-in, with another 20% at the boarding gate itself. This demonstrates a "serious lack of transparency" in the purchasing process, despite the fact that nine out of ten air travellers claim to pay attention to additional fees, according to data collected by this consumer body.
Another complaint raised by the OCU is that, even when paying this surcharge, on one in every four occasions, passengers still have to check their luggage into the hold while at the boarding gate due to lack of space in the cabin, forcing them to pick it up later on the luggage belt at the destination airport, which delays their arrival. In this regard, this consumer champion in Spain points out that hand luggage "is not a luxury, but a necessity" and urges the European parliament to ban these hand luggage charges once and for all. The Spanish government's transport committee has already proposed recognising the right of air passengers to carry, at no additional cost, a small piece of baggage (40 x 30 x 15cm) and one piece of hand luggage of up to 120 centimetres in volume and 7 kilos in weight.
Of those surveyed, 92% of respondents believe that carry-on baggage should be included in the ticket price and 77% believe that airlines use this supplement to "deceive consumers and increase their profits."
Keep complaining...
The OCU also said it supported the decision of the ministry of consumer affairs in the Spanish government, which in November fined five low-cost airlines 179 million euros for "repeated abuse" against passengers.
It also urges consumers who have paid for hand luggage or assigned seats for children, or who were turned away when trying to pay for something in cash, to complain to the airlines, keep all documents and receipts and join its information campaign.
