Nine months after opening multiple sanctioning cases, the Directorate-General for Consumer Affairs closes several with a favorable outcome for the airlines accused. The authority had placed these companies under scrutiny for not offering free customer service hotlines or for failing to clearly inform the public about their existence, and on Monday it announced that several of these airlines admitted responsibility and pledged to fix the issue, thereby avoiding penalties.
As reported by the Ministry of Rights, Social Welfare, Consumption, and the 2030 Agenda in a press release updating the status of some procedures inherited from the previous administration, the department now led by Pablo Bustinduy confirms this turn of events.
“The companies have assumed responsibility and signed a series of non-repetition undertakings, so the cases have reached a termination by conventional agreement, without the imposition of monetary sanctions,” the notice states. It also acknowledges that lacking a free customer service channel, as required in these cases, constitutes a breach of consumer service obligations. Penalties for these infractions range from 150 to 10,000 euros when considered minor, and can reach up to 100,000 euros if the offenses are grave.
In fact, just as some of these airlines (the department did not specify which ones) reached settlements with the Ministry, it clarifies that there are still active cases.
Facua, the consumer rights association, did not hesitate to respond to the decision. The organization described the department’s lax attitude toward companies that have flouted the law and forced many consumers to incur costs simply to contact them by phone as “unacceptable.” “Bustinduy is sending a dangerous message to consumers—companies that break consumer laws can get away with it if they agree to stop the conduct when caught,” Facua added.
Carry-on luggage and other charges
In this context, the consumption authority does not rule out that some open cases regarding charges for services that should be included in the ticket price could follow the same path, for example charges related to carry-on luggage or paying extra to reserve a nearby seat for accompanying minors or dependents.
The ministry notes in the press release that the cases opened against several low-cost airlines for this reason have already completed the investigation phase. Companies have been informed of the proposed fine, and the next step rests with the General Secretariat for Consumption and Gaming to determine the final outcome, should the airlines decide to contest the penalties.
“The final resolution may involve a monetary sanction, some other ancillary sanction such as a prohibition on repeating the conduct, or, in the case of some airlines previously investigated for customer service practices, termination of the conventional settlement, where the companies acknowledge responsibility and adjust their behavior without being sanctioned,” the agency notes.