Discount Airlines Slammed by Italian Competition Authority

A trio of discount airlines were fined on Monday by Italian authorities because they only offered credits - not cash back - for flights that had to be cancelled last year amid the pandemic.

The fines affect Irish airline Ryanair, British airline Easyjet and Spanish airline Volotea and pertain to flights cancelled after June 3, 2020.

The AGCM competition authority said the businesses had employed confusing practices and provided confusing information to customers that left them unclear about their rights.

The decision to hand out credits, which could be used for subsequent flight purchases, made it harder for passengers to decide to seek cash reimbursement.

The authority's decision will require Ryanir to pay a 4.2-million-euro fine, while Easy jet will be on the hook for 2.8 million euros and Volotea for 1.4 million euros.

The AGCM also noted that passengers on some airlines were not given the option of using a toll-free phone number if they wanted to call in to redeem the flight credits.

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