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AIRLINES including EasyJet and Ryanair have been hit with a £130million fine for forcing holidaymakers to pay for "abusive" cabin bag charges. Spanish authorities have also punished budget airlines Vueling and Volotea for excessively charging flyers to bring luggage on board, consumer groups at the head of a six-year campaign said on Friday. The total fine against the four air carriers totals a whopping €150m (£127m) - the largest penalty in the history of low-cost airlines.

Ryanair, EasyJet, Vueling and Volotea can appeal the fine - first before the ministry and then before the National Court. But all four operators have warned that flight ticket prices will climb if they lose the case, Spanish outlet Sur report. The breakdown of the sanctions has not been revealed, although Ryanair is believed to have received the highest fine out of the four, according to El Pais .



The Irish airline were the first to start charging for carrying hand luggage in November 2018 and are seen as the main instigators of the trend. The fines are a challenge to budget airlines' business models, which hinge on charging rock-bottom fees for tickets and adding supplements for things that were previously free. Spain's Consumer Rights Ministry fined the carriers for violating customer rights when charging for larger carry-on luggage, picking seats or boarding pass printouts.

The final charge also takes into consideration the costs for seat selection when the traveller is accompanied by children or d.

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