THEAntitrust Italian fined Ryanair for 4,2 million euros. According to the Italian Authority, the Irish airline - once the travel restrictions linked to the Covid emergency have been lifted - has not reimbursed consumers for the cost of tickets for flights canceled after 3 June 2020. In recent days, the Antitrust had sanctioned for the same reasons too easyJet for 2,8 million and Volotea for 1,4 million.
"The three companies engaged in a seriously incorrect conduct which did not comply with the standard of professional diligence when - once the movement restrictions were completed - they carried out numerous flight cancellations programmed and offered for sale always using the reason for the health emergency and continuing to issue vouchers without proceeding with the refund of the price paid for the canceled tickets”, writes the Antitrust.
Furthermore, “they have been provided misleading and omissive information to consumers on their rights and the acknowledgment of the monetary refund was hindered and delayed, through methods and procedures to induce - and in some cases even force - the consumer to choose and/or accept the voucher instead of the refund", continues the note.
For some companies, other incorrect conduct has been ascertained such as the failure to recognize a refreshment in the event of cancellation of the trip due to the new pandemic situation or the placing of obstacles to the use of vouchers already issued: for example, forcing the use of a telephone number to payment in order to use the vouchers, not making the monetary refund upon expiry of the same or still not providing for the duration of 18 months as established by the emergency legislation.
Finally, as regards Ryanair, “it has been considered even the advertising campaign is misleading disseminated through the main means of information - always starting from June - and focused on the possibility of changing the flight for free (through the claim "No penalty for the change" or similar) whereas, instead, the company applied for the new flight chosen by the consumer higher rates than those that were simultaneously charged on their booking system and in any case provided for a penalty if the flight change took place in the 7 days prior to departure", concludes the Antitrust.
