Irish low-cost carrier Ryanair has lost a case in Belgium’s commercial court, after judges ruled that several of the airline’s most common ticket-selling tactics mislead passengers and create artificial psychological pressure during the booking process.
Ryanair now has three months to fully update both its website and mobile app. If the airline fails to comply, it could face a fine of up to €1 million.
Which Ryanair practices were ruled illegal
The court focused on mechanisms designed to push customers into booking faster than they intended – or into paying more than they initially planned.
Among the practices found unlawful:
Fake urgency
Messages such as “Only 2 seats left at €19.99” were ruled to create unjustified pressure. In many cases, these figures are not verifiably true and are primarily used to trigger rushed, impulsive purchases.
Non-transparent discounts
The court found that “reference prices” used to calculate promotional discounts often do not reflect real previous fares. As a result, passengers may be shown a discount that is effectively invented.
Forced bundling through fare packages
The airline’s Regular, Plus, and Flexi Plus fare options were criticised for being unclear. The system makes it difficult for passengers to understand how much baggage or seat selection would cost separately, effectively nudging them toward buying a more expensive package.
Ryanair still wins on baggage: larger cabin bags can remain paid
Despite the ruling against its marketing and sales tactics, Ryanair successfully defended its policy of charging for larger cabin baggage.
Belgian consumer group Testachats had argued that passengers should be allowed to bring larger bags onboard for free. However, the court confirmed that Ryanair’s current policy complies with EU law.
This means only a small personal item (40×30×20 cm) must remain free of charge, while larger cabin bags can legally remain a paid add-on.
What this means for passengers
If Ryanair implements the court’s ruling, passengers may soon see a more transparent booking experience, with fewer aggressive prompts and misleading discount claims.
However, travellers should not expect any changes to Ryanair’s paid baggage model – the airline’s approach to charging for larger cabin bags remains legally protected.
