£40 Ryanair check-in penalty is ruled illegal as court orders airline to print boarding passes for free
By Sean Poulter and Tom Worden
Last updated at 5:37 PM on 15th January 2011
Ryanair’s policy of fining passengers who fail to print their boarding passes in advance has been ruled illegal in Spain.
A judge has decided the Irish airline must print the documents for free and cannot impose a 40-euro charge at check-in.
Barbara Maria Cordoba Ardao, sitting at a commercial court in Barcelona, said the fines were abusive because aviation law obliges airlines to issue boarding passes.
Rebuked: Ryanair has been told by a court in Spain that it cannot fine passengers who have failed to print their own boarding passes
The test case was brought by Dan Miro Garcia, a Spanish lawyer who was charged 40 euros (£34) for a boarding pass last May.
Ryanair, which imposes a £40 fine in the UK, is to appeal against the ruling.
More...Ryanair to cut its German flights due to higher tourist tax
If it loses, and is unsuccessful in the European courts as well, the charges would have to be axed everywhere.
The budget carrier argued at a December 21 hearing that passengers were always well informed of the conditions attached to their ticket purchases.
Outspoken: Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary has been criticised for his airline's charging practices
The judge ordered a refund for Mr Miro Garcia and said the fact the company was a low-cost carrier did ‘not allow it to alter its basic contractual obligations’.
The judge gave Ryanair leave to appeal to the provincial court in Barcelona.
The budget airline has been criticised for charging extra for certain types of bank cards to buy tickets.
It also charges for checked-in luggage and has said it is considering charging passengers to use the toilet during flights.
Simon Evans, of the Air Transport Users Council, said: ‘You can’t board a flight without a boarding card, it is not an optional extra.
‘The idea of being hit with a charge of £40 or 40 euros if you don’t have your own is plainly horrible.
‘However, many people understand it is part of the deal you strike when you book a cheap flight.
‘This will be an interesting test case as it goes through the courts.
‘If airlines are told these charges will have to be incorporated in the headline ticket prices that will mean fundamental changes to the way budget airlines operate.’
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1347212/Ryanair-40-check-penalty-ruled-illegal-Court-orders-airline-print-passes-free.html#ixzz1BIAAtopL
By Sean Poulter and Tom Worden
Last updated at 5:37 PM on 15th January 2011
Ryanair’s policy of fining passengers who fail to print their boarding passes in advance has been ruled illegal in Spain.
A judge has decided the Irish airline must print the documents for free and cannot impose a 40-euro charge at check-in.
Barbara Maria Cordoba Ardao, sitting at a commercial court in Barcelona, said the fines were abusive because aviation law obliges airlines to issue boarding passes.
Rebuked: Ryanair has been told by a court in Spain that it cannot fine passengers who have failed to print their own boarding passes
The test case was brought by Dan Miro Garcia, a Spanish lawyer who was charged 40 euros (£34) for a boarding pass last May.
Ryanair, which imposes a £40 fine in the UK, is to appeal against the ruling.
More...Ryanair to cut its German flights due to higher tourist tax
If it loses, and is unsuccessful in the European courts as well, the charges would have to be axed everywhere.
The budget carrier argued at a December 21 hearing that passengers were always well informed of the conditions attached to their ticket purchases.
Outspoken: Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary has been criticised for his airline's charging practices
The judge ordered a refund for Mr Miro Garcia and said the fact the company was a low-cost carrier did ‘not allow it to alter its basic contractual obligations’.
The judge gave Ryanair leave to appeal to the provincial court in Barcelona.
The budget airline has been criticised for charging extra for certain types of bank cards to buy tickets.
It also charges for checked-in luggage and has said it is considering charging passengers to use the toilet during flights.
Simon Evans, of the Air Transport Users Council, said: ‘You can’t board a flight without a boarding card, it is not an optional extra.
‘The idea of being hit with a charge of £40 or 40 euros if you don’t have your own is plainly horrible.
‘However, many people understand it is part of the deal you strike when you book a cheap flight.
‘This will be an interesting test case as it goes through the courts.
‘If airlines are told these charges will have to be incorporated in the headline ticket prices that will mean fundamental changes to the way budget airlines operate.’
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1347212/Ryanair-40-check-penalty-ruled-illegal-Court-orders-airline-print-passes-free.html#ixzz1BIAAtopL
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Vanhimmat
Barcelonalaisoikeus on tuominnut pätemättömäksi halpalentäjä Ryanairin vaatimuksen, jonka mukaan matkustajien pitää tulostaa maihinnousukorttinsa itse tai maksaa siitä 40 euroa.
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14.1.2011 20:34
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Halpalentäjä Ryanair on kärsinyt takaiskun uuden rahastuskeinonsa käytössä. Espanjassa tuomioistuin on tuominnut pätemättömäksi yhtiön vaatimuksen, jolla se edellyttää matkustajia kirjautumaan lennolle internetissä ja tulostamaan maihinnousukorttinsa eli boarding passinsa itse – ellei näitä toimia tee itse, Ryanair veloittaa niiden tekemisestä 40 euroa.
Barcelonalaistuomari Bárbara María Córdoban mukaan Ryanairia koskevat kansainväliset, eurooppalaiset ja kansalliset ilmailulait ja -määräykset ja nämä kaikki edellyttävät lentoyhtiötä toimittamaan matkustajalla lentolipun. Tästä velvoitteesta lentoyhtiö ei mitenkään voi laistaa, uutistoimisto Europa Pressin haltuunsa saamassa oikeuden päätöksessä sanotaan, El País -lehti kertoo.
Päätös on annettu jo ennen joulua, mutta se tuli julki vasta tänään. Päätös ei ole täysin sitova ja asian odotetaan etenevän vielä EU-tuomioistuimeen.
Ryanair on perustellut vaatimustaan sillä, että se on halpalentoyhtiö ja voidakseen tarjota asiakkailleen edullisia lippuja sen on otettava käyttöön tämänkaltaisia menettelytapoja. Irlantilaisyhtiö on lisäksi sanonut, että matkustajilla on mahdollisuus tulostaa maihinnousukorttinsa myös lentoasemalla.
El Paísin mukaan Ryanair on ainoa halpalentäjä, joka perii maksua maihinnousukortin tulostamisesta.