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Austrian Supreme Court Rules Against Ryanair Add-on Fees
The court upheld a consumer watchdog challenge to charges including €50 call-centre and €100 missed-flight rebooking fees and ordered Ryanair to stop using them.
- On Monday, the Austrian Supreme Court ruled 14 of 15 fee clauses in Ryanair's standard terms unlawful, upholding lower court decisions in a victory for the Austrian Consumer Information Association .
- The VKI challenged fees buried in the airline's General Conditions of Carriage, arguing the clauses lacked transparency and unfairly shifted business risk to passengers through charges triggered by Ryanair's own system failures.
- Fees declared unlawful include a €55 airport check-in charge, €25 infant fee, and name-change fees up to €160. "The Supreme Court made clear that additional charges must be transparent and must not unfairly disadvantage consumers," said Petra Leupold, head of VKI.
- Ryanair must cease using the contested clauses in Austria within three months. The airline disputed the characterization, stating the court did not declare its pricing unlawful nor require retroactive reimbursements.
- Following a British regulator's inquiry last week, Ryanair agreed to remove family seating charges. The VKI now encourages Austrian passengers to pursue individual refund claims for fees already paid.
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24 Articles
24 Articles
The Supreme Court has decided: Ryanair charges for check-in, rebooking or boarding passes are intransparent and vulnerable consumers are strong.
The airline Ryanair is demanding extra charges for a number of additional services around the flight. In Austria, the Ministry of Social Affairs takes care of the matter. The Supreme Court is motivating a number of regulations.
The association for consumer information complained before the Supreme Court and got right. According to the verdict, several provisions of the cheap airline are intransparent or grossly disadvantageous - for example the check-in fee.
·Vienna, Austria
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources24
Leaning Left2Leaning Right4Center2Last UpdatedBias Distribution50% Right
Bias Distribution
- 50% of the sources lean Right
50% Right
L 25%
C 25%
R 50%
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