Flight costs to increase after charges ban

MILLIONS of British holidaymakers face more expensive flights to Spain after Ryanair and easyjet were banned from charging cabin luggage fees.

The budget airlines and two others yesterday slammed a “disproportionate” £128million fine by the Spanish government over the charges.

They warned the “consumer will be the main victim” as the ruling could raise prices for millions of passengers.

Jobs in tourism hotspots Tenerife and Barcelona could be lost as the higher rates only apply to Spain, they claimed.

Britons take more than 40 million flights to and from Spain a year, figures show, the majority on budget airlines.

The Spanish Airline Association (ALA) – on behalf of easyjet, Ryanair,vueling andvolotea – hit out at the ruling yesterday. President Javier Gándara said: “Sanctioning this practice limits the option to pay only for essential services and would force all passengers to contract the cabin baggage transport service, even if they do not need it.”

He said the airlines may appeal. ALA claimed the ruling meant higher prices for 30-40 per cent of passengers who don’t need extra cabin luggage.

Currently the airlines allow one free cabin bag but charge a fee if this doesn’t meet required dimensions. Ryanair – Europe’s biggest airline – charges passengers £20 for an extra cabin bag.

The airlines were fined for the “abusive” fees for additional cabin luggage and reserving seats for children or dependents, opacity in ticket pricing and banning cash payment options at airports and during flights. It followed an investigation by Spain’s ministry of social rights and consumer affairs.

Ryanair was also censured for charging passengers to print off paper tickets.

The first beach protest against tourism in Majorca took place yesterday, as around 50 demonstrators gathered at Colonia de Sant Jordi in the south.

They said their action “had only begun”, with plans to blockade roads to and from the airport this summer.

Activists complain the island cannot cope with the number of visitors, due to traffic jams, crowds and a lack of affordable housing because of holiday lets.

Last weekend, 10,000 people marched through the capital, Palma, demanding limits on visitor numbers. Protests have taken place in other hotspots, including the Canary Islands.