Ryanair has been fined €3 million for introducing a highly deceptive hand luggage policy last November that left customers baffled and competition authorities sharpening their pencils.
The significant fine over Ryanair’s chiselling scheme came from the Italian Competition Authority.
The airline charges passengers to bring small suitcases on board flights, small bags are only allowed on for free if they can fit underneath the seat in front of passengers.
Meanwhile, bags of up to 10 kilos are subject to a luggage fee or fee-paying priority boarding pass.
The Italian watchdog stated that passengers should be allowed to travel with a larger carry-on bag and that airlines were raising ticket prices in a "non transparent" manner with extra payments of between €5 and €25.
The statement reads, "Hand baggage is an essential element of the air transport service and its transport must be permitted without incurring any additional costs.
"In fact, also on the basis of the European legislation on air transport, the foreseeable and unavoidable supplements must be included in the price of the basic service presented since the first contact and, therefore, can not be separated from this with the request for further sums.
"Hence the deception for consumers, as the price to be paid at the end of the booking process will almost always be higher than the tariff presented at the beginning of the process."
The Italian Competition Authority also fined Wizz Air - €1 million.