Brussels Commercial Court has ordered Ryanair (FR, Dublin International) to stop some of its commercial and marketing practices in Belgium, while upholding key elements of the Irish budget carrier's business model, including charges for cabin baggage and seat selection.

In a January 28 ruling, the court said Ryanair must end practices it found to be misleading, such as advertising discounts based on fake reference prices, creating false urgency by suggesting low-priced seats are nearly sold out, and failing to clearly disclose luggage fees for both legs of a round trip.

In so doing, the court upheld several complaints by Belgian consumer association Testachats, supported by its umbrella organisation Euroconsumers, which had filed a cease-and-desist order against Ryanair in May 2025 over various practices it claimed violated consumer rights during the booking process.

However, the court rejected several other claims by Testachats, including challenges to Ryanair’s policy of charging for larger cabin bags, demand-based pricing, paid seat selection, and fees for parents to reserve seats next to their children. The court found those practices do not breach European Union law.

"We welcome this major decision in favour of consumer rights, which reaffirms their right to be properly informed, without manipulation and the use of 'dark patterns,' so that they can make fully informed decisions," reacted Testachats spokesman Jean-Philippe Ducart.

Ryanair equally welcomed the ruling, saying it confirmed its cabin baggage policy complies with EU rules and case law. It pointed out that the court ruled that Testachats does not have the required EU "qualified entity" status, limiting its ability to bring certain representative actions.

Should Ryanair fail to comply with the order to stop the prohibited practices, it faces a penalty of EUR5,000 euros (USD5,900) per day.

Testachats vowed to continue the battle: "Our fight continues, at the very least in the European arena, given that major regulations on passenger rights are currently under review, and that the European Parliament's position is in favour of including a 7kg piece of hand luggage in the ticket price, and of providing a free seat for the accompanying adult of a minor child," said Ducart.

Scrutiny across Europe

The judgment comes amid broader scrutiny by regulators across Europe of Ryanair’s aggressive pricing tactics, which rely on low base fares supplemented by optional fees.

In December 2025, Italy's competition watchdog (Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato - AGCM) fined Ryanair and its parent Ryanair Holdings EUR255.8 million (USD302 million) for violating competition rules by blocking travel agents from booking tickets on its website. In November 2024, Spain's Consumer Affairs Ministry fined budget airlines Ryanair, easyJet, Vueling Airlines, Norwegian, and Volotea a combined EUR179 million (USD211 million) for charging for larger cabin bags.

Meanwhile, Ryanair has urged EU regulators to take tougher action against Spanish online travel agency eDreams after Italy's AGCM fined the company EUR9 million (USD10.6 million), a penalty Ryanair said was too lenient. The regulator said the group's companies employed manipulative digital tactics, known as 'dark patterns', to pressure consumers into subscribing to and maintaining its prime service, Reuters reported.