Book Offer
This will close in 10 seconds
European officials are planning a crackdown on Ryanair-style airline business models as part of a new suite of passenger rights reforms.
Changes to consumer rights rules were provisionally agreed to by the European Council, EU Parliament and European Commission on June 15, with the adjustments mainly aimed at clamping down on sales tactics used by the likes of Ryanair and EasyJet.
According to a European Parliament press release, this includes a ban on airlines subjecting passengers to any “request or obligation to have a user account or a specific application” to receive a digital boarding pass.
This follows a push from Ryanair to almost entirely abolish the use of physical boarding passes, with the airline advertising that it has moved to “100% Digital Boarding Passes”.
“You need the Ryanair App to access your digital boarding pass,” the company’s website reads.
The airline’s current approach to luggage will also be prohibited under the new rules, with the EU to oblige all airlines to advertise their air fares with the cost of baggage included.
The parliament added that airlines will be able to reduce fare rates for passengers who voluntarily give up their right to more baggage, but that this reduced fare cannot be the main charge advertised before booking on either the airline’s own website or on price comparison platforms.
“On the insistence of MEPs price transparency and the comparability of air tickets was increased by obliging airlines, intermediaries and search portals to always display the air fare inclusive of carry-on luggage at the outset of the book process,” the press release reads.
“Negotiators agreed that airlines may offer cheaper tickets for passengers who choose voluntarily to travel without hand luggage.”
Other common practices set to be banned under the new rules is charging passengers for name spelling errors, or applying fees for a printed boarding passes so long as the customer is already checked in.
“In addition, passengers shall not be denied boarding on the grounds that they used their own printed version of a digitally issued boarding pass, the agreement says,” the EP statement added.
It is unclear how badly effected low cost carriers such as Ryanair will be by the changes. The Swords-based airline already has provisions for allowing printed boarding passes in certain limited situations despite its “100% digital” claim.
Forcing the display of baggage-inclusive prices for tickets will likely require a rework of the low-cost airline business model in Europe, with the change likely to narrow the cost divide between budget carriers and their more premium equivalents, such as British Airways, Lufthansa and Air France.
Responding to a request for comment by Gript on the changes, Ryanair pointed towards a press release by the Airlines for Europe industry group criticising the changes.
“Obliging airlines to artificially inflate prices by including the cost of hand baggage in the displayed airfare contradicts established EU law protecting opt-ins instead of opt-outs,” the statement reads.
The changes will now go to a final vote in the European Parliament. If passed, they will go into force in early 2027.
This will close in 10 seconds