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Spanish low-cost airline Vueling is facing an antitrust investigation in Italy over hand luggage fees and online profiling, the Italian Competition Authority (AGCM) said on Wednesday.
According to the regulator, the carrier does not provide clear information to customers that the price for hand luggage varies depending on whether tickets are bought via its website or via its mobile app.
In addition, “it would seem that the device used by the consumer is also used as a parameter to proceed with customer profiling in such a way as to differentiate the purchase price of the ticket,” the AGCM said in a statement.
Such practices, if proven, could damage consumers by offering them “incomplete, non-transparent and omissive information” on how Vueling sets prices for luggage, the authority said.
Vueling said in a statement that its “baggage pricing policy is transparent and complies with the regulations”, it “does not distinguish between devices, nor between web or app channels” and is properly advertised “throughout the purchase process”.
It added that it would “work closely” with Italian authorities “to provide all the necessary information and clarify any doubts”.
The Barcelona-based airline is part of the International Airlines Group (IAG), which also owns British Airways, Iberia and Aer Lingus, among others.
In August, Spain’s Ministry of Consumer Affairs said it had opened an investigation into Vueling and other low-cost airlines over hand luggage and other fees, which result in the price most consumers pay being higher than initially advertised.
The United States Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has sued Amazon, arguing it broke antitrust laws by squeezing merchants on its site, while another antitrust lawsuit against Meta claimed that it snuffed out nascent rivals.
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