Court rules on legality of airline luggage fees
Airlines can continue to charge customers to check in their luggage, a European court has ruled.
The European Court of Justice said it was acceptable for airlines to charge a supplement as they incurred extra costs storing and processing checked-in luggage.
But it added that hand baggage was necessary for passengers so they should not be charged for carry-on bags.
The decision will come as a relief to low-cost carriers that rely on ancillary fees to bulk out their earnings.
The court upheld a challenge by Spanish budget carrier Vueling Airlines against a Spanish law that prohibits airlines from charging for checking in baggage.
The airline was given a 3,000 euro (£2,362) fine for adding €40 to the basic price of four tickets bought by one passenger for return flights between La Coruna in Spain to Amsterdam.
A Spanish court referred the case to Luxembourg to see if it complied with EU law on pricing freedom.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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