Italy’s competition authority has launched a formal investigation into a prominent UK airline for suspected unfair business practices.
The focus of the probe against British ultra-low-cost carrier easyJet revolves around how the airline structures and displays baggage fees on its website and mobile app, according to Italy’s Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato (AGCM).
The AGCM stated that passengers were often misled about the actual costs as the airline combined checked baggage and sports equipment for round trips as the default option, providing only an average price that did not differentiate between single-leg and round-trip purchases.
The regulator highlighted that customers wanting to add luggage for just one leg of their journey had to manually adjust the settings during the booking process, a step that could easily go unnoticed or cause confusion for most consumers.
The investigation aims to determine whether easyJet’s booking system created ambiguous pricing conditions and restricted consumers from making fully informed decisions.
A spokesperson from easyJet confirmed the airline’s awareness of the AGCM’s actions and expressed readiness to collaborate with the authority during the investigation. The airline emphasized its compliance with consumer protection laws, pledging to maintain transparency and fairness in its dealings with customers.
In a separate incident, in May 2021, the AGCM fined easyJet, along with competitors Ryanair and Volotea, €2.8 million for failing to offer cash refunds when flights were canceled due to Italy lifting COVID-19 travel restrictions, opting to issue vouchers instead. EasyJet’s appeal against the fine was rejected by the Lazio Regional Administrative Court in Rome in February 2025.
