Spain court rules that Ryanair must refund passenger for hand luggage charge

A Spanish court has ordered that Iriish no-frills airline, Ryanair, must refund 147 euros to a passenger for hand luggage charges on five flights between 2019 and 2024. The ruling is based on the court’s determination that hand luggage is an essential part of air travel and should not incur additional fees. This is the latest twist in the long running dispute between the Irish airline and Spain.

The case reflects ongoing legal battles in Europe regarding airlines’ charging practices for essential services. It originated through the consumer organization Facua, which has secured similar rulings against Low-Cost Carriers in recent months.

The ruling, ordered by a court in Salamanca on the mainland, follows a complaint filed by the passenger, who was represented by the Spanish consumer rights group Facua. In this case, an Irish low-cost carrier was asked to reimburse the passenger 147 euros , which she had paid across five flights between 2019 and 2024.

Judge Raquel Martínez Marco based her decision on the 2014 Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) judgment, which stated that “[hand luggage] must, in principle, be considered an indispensable element of passenger transport and that its carriage cannot, therefore, be subject to a price supplement.”

Facua has seen success in similar cases and has previously secured favourable rulings against Ryanair and other low-cost carriers like Vueling . The legal argument centres on the concept of hand luggage being “indispensable” to transportation services.