What happened
The Austrian Consumer Information Association (VKI) challenged Ryanair’s terms and conditions, leading to a ruling by Austria’s supreme court that 14 clauses are unlawful under Section 879(3) of the Austrian Civil Code. Key fees ruled unfair and non-transparent include the €55 airport check-in fee, €15 boarding pass fee, €25 infant fee, €70 oversized hand baggage fee, and €100 rebooking fee for missed flights. Ryanair must stop using these contested clauses within three months. While the consumer organization claims past payers may be entitled to refunds, Ryanair denies this. The ruling could lead to policy updates specific to Austria or a broader shift in Ryanair’s pricing model as it faces increasing regulatory scrutiny in Europe