The plenary session of the European Parliament has called this Wednesday for uniform and coherent rules that unify the prices that an airline can charge for carry-on suitcases, as well as the dimensions that these must have, to avoid the creation of hidden fees and difficulties when to compare prices.
The adopted text highlights citizens' concerns about the inconvenience caused by heterogeneous airline hand luggage rules and considers that EU legislation on passenger rights should be reviewed to provide a solution.
MEPs have stressed that the inconsistency of airline hand luggage rules and prices creates problems for travelers and hinders price comparison between different options, which is why they are calling for common rules at EU level.
However, the resolution, coming from the Petitions Committee of the European Parliament, is not legally binding, while the European Commission, for its part, has already initiated a consultation to review the Air Services Regulation, as stated in its more recent communication on Mobility Strategy.
The Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU) also ruled on this matter, which in its 2014 ruling already ruled that companies should not charge a supplement for hand luggage, as long as it meets "reasonable requirements in terms of weight and dimensions." , and meets applicable safety requirements."
The Association of Airlines (ALA) has stressed that the resolution approved this Wednesday by the European Parliament on hand luggage is not binding and "therefore companies are not obliged to change their baggage policy."
"In relation to the approved resolution we want to emphasize that commercial practices such as charging for baggage in the cabin are perfectly legal. These practices respond to the principle of giving consumers the ability to choose, so that each consumer, at all times, can choose whatever you need," the ALA said in a statement.
For employers, it must be taken into account that there are many passengers who travel without hand luggage, which in the case of some airlines represent up to 40% of their customers. "By fragmenting the services, it is possible to choose and pay only for those that are really needed. There is a tendency to carry the suitcase in the cabin and not check it in, but the planes do not have the physical capacity to accommodate all the small suitcases," the note states.
