The Brussels Enterprise Court has ruled that several booking practices used by Ryanair are unlawful and has ordered the airline to change them or face a fine of €5,000 per day.
In May, consumer organisation Testachats, supported by Euroconsumers, filed a lawsuit against Ryanair, claiming its booking practices violated consumer rights.
The complaints included charges for a 10kg carry-on bag, lack of transparency about costs for services like priority boarding and additional luggage, as well as misleading marketing messages.
In a judgment delivered last Wednesday, the court upheld these concerns.
Unlawful practices include bundled pricing formulas, claims like "only 5 seats left at this price," false discount advertisements with incorrect reference prices, and the failure to display separate baggage charges for round-trip flights.
"This ruling is a clear victory for consumers," said Marco Scialdone, Head of Litigation at Euroconsumers. "It confirms that airlines cannot rely on misleading price tactics, fake discounts or hidden costs to drive sales.
Transparency is a legal obligation and a cornerstone of a fair and competitive market."
Ryanair has been given three months from the notification of the judgment to implement the required changes or face daily fines of €5,000.
However, the court deemed legal the airline's charges for hand luggage and fees for seating passengers next to minor children, another issue raised by Testachats.
