Italy’s antitrust authority, the Competition and Market Guarantor Authority, has launched a formal investigation into easyJet Airline Company Limited over allegations of unfair and aggressive commercial practices during its online ticket booking process.
The regulatory body claims that easyJet structured the checked baggage and sports equipment selection process on its official Italian website and mobile application in a way that misleads consumers. Specifically, the airline stands accused of automatically pre-selecting round-trip baggage transport as the default option for passengers booking return flights. Furthermore, the digital platforms allegedly display only an average service price rather than breaking down individual costs per leg of the journey.
This layout means passengers who only require a checked bag for one leg of their trip are forced to manually deselect the pre-set option, interrupting the natural booking flow. The antitrust authority believes this design traps consumers into paying for unneeded services and masks the true cost per route, potentially violating several articles of the Italian Consumer Code concerning deceptive and aggressive trade practices.
The decision to escalate the matter to a formal probe comes after easyJet failed to comply with previous regulatory warnings, known as moral suasion, intended to resolve the issue voluntarily. If the ongoing investigation confirms that these booking interfaces deliberately deceive or manipulate travelers, the British low-cost carrier could face significant financial penalties from Italian authorities.
