Consumer protection organisation Testachats is demanding that Irish low-cost airline Ryanair pay penalty fees because the company’s website still does not comply with a Belgian court ruling of 28 January.
According to the organisation, the airline has now brought three of the four practices for which it was found guilty into line, but the bundled fare packages remain problematic.
Earlier this year, the Commercial Court ruled against Ryanair for four infringements: false promotions, inaccurate information about the number of remaining seats, unclear prices for hold luggage, and misleading fare structures that encourage passengers to make unnecessary purchases.
Ryanair was given until 30 June to amend its website and app, failing which it would face a penalty payment.
€5,000 per day
Following an inspection, Testachats found that the airline had indeed stopped using the false discounts and seat availability claims. The price for checked-in luggage is now also correctly displayed for each flight.
However, Ryanair's refusal to amend its bundled fares remains a thorn in the side of the consumer organisation.
'As Ryanair continues to engage in certain problematic practices, we will closely monitor compliance with the ruling. Until the airline is fully compliant, we will demand penalty payments of €5,000 per day and per infringement," said the organisation's spokesperson Laura Clays.
This is not the first time the airline has come under fire for its commercial practices. The Austrian Supreme Court has previously ruled that several of the airline’s surcharges are unlawful.
Additionally, the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is currently investigating the extra charges Ryanair imposes when adults wish to sit next to their children.
