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Ryanair is in hot water yet again in Spain after a leading consumer organisation filed a fresh complaint against the airline, this time over the way it handles gift cards.

 

Facua Consumers in Action has formally reported Ryanair, Iberia, Transavia and Wizz Air to the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, accusing them of imposing expiry dates on gift vouchers and, in some cases, adding extra fees on top.

 

The group argues that putting a time limit on gift cards, after which any unused balance simply disappears, amounts to an abusive practice. According to Facua, customers are being unfairly restricted because once the deadline passes the airline keeps the money even though no flight or service has been provided.

 

Most of the airlines in question give customers one year to use the card, with Transavia allowing two. After that, the credit is lost.

 

This is the same Spanish ministry that just last year fined five airlines €179 million for charging passengers for hand luggage and other practices it described as abusive. Ryanair, Norwegian, Vueling, EasyJet and Volotea were among those sanctioned at the time.

 

This time around, Facua has asked the ministry to open sanctioning proceedings and pointed out that the issue is not new. Back in 2011, Spain’s Consumer Cooperation Commission ruled that expiry clauses on gift vouchers could be considered abusive if they create a significant imbalance to the detriment of the consumer. That same year, the Andalucian regional government fined a clothing chain €20,000 for selling gift cards with expiry dates.

 

Ryanair is also facing criticism over what it calls an administrative fee for issuing gift vouchers. The airline charges €2 for digital cards and €5 for physical ones. Facua claims this is another abusive practice because it represents an added cost without offering any additional service or benefit.

 

The timing could be better for the budget Irish airline, since it’s currently locking horns with Aena, Spain’s airport management company, over plans to hike up airport charges. Most of the airlines are against the fee increase, warning that it could mean higher ticket prices for passengers.

 

Image: Ryanair