The airline Laudamotion, a daughter of the Irish Ryanair, charged 55 euros for the check-in at the airport. Due to legal action by the VKI, an Austrian court now ruled that this fee is inadmissible. The verdict is not yet final.
The respective tariffs of Laudamotion allow a free online check-in between two days and two hours before the flight. However, if the passengers miss this time slot, they had to check-in directly at the airport and pay the fee of 55 euros.
No transparent information about surprisingly high costs
The costs for the airport check-in are not automatically displayed during the booking process. Customers have to actively click on the tariff information in order to see the amount.
The court found that those additional costs are unusual and therefore surprising for consumers. The customer, the court stated, would not expect a fee this high. On the contrary, the fee covers ancillary services that can be provided easily and fast.
"The court speaks of an exorbitant amount", says Beate Gelbmann, head of the department for lawsuits at VKI. "The fee is not only surprising for customers. It is also difficult for them to understand that the airport check-in is in some cases even more expensive than the ticket price of the low-cost carrier."
If you have a complaint against Laudamotion and live in Austria, you can contact the VKI (Verein für Konsumenteninformation).
