Ryanair, WizzAir fined in Italy over cabin bag policy

Italy's antitrust authority Thursday slapped fines on Ryanair and WizzAir over their cabin baggage policy. Both carriers allow small bags into the cabin free of charge only if they can be stowed under the seat in front of passengers. Bigger bags of up to 10 kilos require a luggage fee, or a fee-paying priority boarding pass. Ryanair was fined E3m (US$3.4m) and WizzAir E1m. The Italian antitrust agency said that most passengers expected to travel with a larger carry-on bag and that by imposing an extra payment of between E5 and E25 the airlines were raising ticket prices in a "non-transparent" manner. Ryanair rejected the Italian decision, saying its policy was transparent and helped flight punctuality as it speeded up boarding. <br/>