European consumer group BEUC and 16 member organisations have made a formal complaint to the European Commission over what they see as ‘illegal’ commercial practices.

The complaint centres over the issue of hand luggage, with BEUC and its affiliates sharing the opinion that hand luggage, including a cabin bag, should be included in the base price of a ticket. Airlines named in the complaint are easyJet, Norwegian, Ryanair, Transavia, Volotea, Vueling and Wizz Air.

In a statement explaining the legal basis for the complaint, BEUC said: “We believe that these practices are a breach of EU Regulation 1008/2008 on common rules for the operation of air services, EU Directive 2005/29/EC prohibiting unfair commercial practices and EU Directive 93/13/EEC prohibiting unfair contract terms.

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BEUC pointed to a 2014 judgement where the Court of Justice of the European Union highlighted that the “carriage of hand baggage cannot be made subject to a price supplement, provided that it meets reasonable requirements in terms of its weight and dimensions and complies with applicable security requirements”.

The complaint has been strongly disputed by the named airlines. Speaking on BBC radio on Thursday morning, easyJet CEO Kenton Jarvis said that his airline’s onboard luggage policies were ‘very clear’ and were welcomed by passengers, particularly the ‘third of our customers that chose not to take any ancillaries and just take the allocated seat and travel with a free bag’.

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Norwegian has also expressed its frustration with the complaint. “Norwegian is committed to offering safe and affordable travel, and our baggage policy reflects this,” the carrier said in an article by Deutsch Welt, adding that the fees were “essential for managing weight and limited space on board, ensuring passenger safety, and maintaining punctuality.”

Last year the Spanish Ministry of Social Rights and Consumption handed out a fines amounting to €179m to LCCs for their baggage policies, many of which are currently being appealed.