Unfair fees and policies in air travel

Charging extra for hand luggage, seat selection or cancelling tickets through “no-show” clauses has become standard practice in air travel, significantly increasing the real cost of flying and reducing price transparency for consumers. Millions of passengers across Europe are affected every year.

In this factsheet, BEUC – the European Consumer Organisation – highlights how unfair airline fees and policies harm consumers and undermine their rights. BEUC calls on policymakers to ensure that essential services are included in the basic ticket price, ban unfair seat and “no-show” fees, and introduce clear, standardised EU rules on hand luggage to restore fairness and transparency in air travel.

For more information, consult BEUC’s Recommendations for trilogue negotiations on the Air Passenger Rights Regulation revision.