The judge presiding over the case, Antonio Oliveira Mestre, stated that Ryanair he illegally charged his client a fee for hand luggagethe dimensions of which were slightly larger than the 40x25x20 cm required by the airline.
The judge said it was an illegal practice to charge extra for personal luggage, which fits on board the planeand its size does not exceed 55x40x20 cm.
Ryanair. Airlines lose in court
He noted that the passenger was forced “to paying for luggage twice“, because the cost of transporting her carry-on bag had actually already been charged when purchasing the plane ticket.
Media in Portugal They expect that this seemingly symbolic verdict will trigger an avalanche of lawsuits against low cost airlineswhich, like Ryanair they charge an additional fee for exceeding the dimensions of the hand luggage or for its greater weight.
Commenting on the ruling, CNN Portugal noted that the verdict is unprecedented in Portugal.
Ryanair Baggage. An Unprecedented Verdict
The journalists recalled that six similar cases, in which numerous passengers were represented by the Citizen's Voice association, waiting for a decision before the Portuguese justice system.
They concern Ryanair, Easyjet, Wizzair and Vueling. – These companies may be forced by the courts to paying compensation to passengers with a total value of EUR 10 billion – CNN Portugal summarized.