The European Union has recently been trying to ensure that ticket pricing for all air travel becomes simple and convenient for everyone.
Consequently, one of its most recent suggestions has been that airlines should abolish the fee that is imposed on carry-on baggage.
In the previous month, the Committee on Petitions of the European Parliament, also known as PETI, successfully passed a motion on the matter.
It went on to encourage all operational airlines in Europe to make sure that travelers, domestic or foreign, would be permitted to carry hand luggage into their cabins without having to pay any additional expenses.
PETI
According to PETI, there are a number of low-cost companies that are in business with multiple airlines.
These businesses have been using tactics to hide the supplement for carrying hand luggage into the cabin, with the customer only finding out at the end of the purchase.
The European Union was previously made aware of the practice and has, thus, started to discourage any hidden fee.
Consequently, Member States have been informed to take the right course of action and ensure that all operational airlines abolish this additional fee as well.
Airlines
In the last couple of years, several low-cost airlines took to introducing strict rules surrounding baggage, as well as hand carry-ons.
At one point, travelers were also being charged for having even a single suitcase with them on flights.
As of now, it is only Ryanair, a budget airline in Europe, that permits customers to carry a small backpack or handbag free of charge.
Where wheeled luggage is concerned, even the airline in question charges an additional fee from the passengers.
Not long ago, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs in Spain decided to open an investigation, which included a number of budget carriers and the hand luggage policies that they follow.
Moreover, the EU Court of Justice, as it did before, has stated that hand luggage should be treated as an essential aspect of travel.
It added that this is to be done in case a backpack, handbag, or any other type of carry-on meets specific conditions with respect to dimensions and weight.
As a result, EU countries have been encouraged to ensure compliance with the ruling of the EU Court of Justice to achieve transparency related to fees charged for hand luggage.
EU’s aim
It is believed that through the abolishment of any additional fees on hand luggage, the EU is striving to achieve two goals.
The first is that the Union wants to get rid of any inconsistent policies that different airlines follow when it comes to hand luggage.
The second goal is the elimination of unclear advertising tactics that could lead to customers paying hidden baggage fees when purchasing a ticket.
Back in 2014, the EU Court of Justice ruled that cabin baggage is to be treated as an essential part of a traveler’s experience.
The weight and size dimensions were specified to ensure that customers would not be exploited. However, despite the ruling, the decision of the court was never enforced.
