Spanish Consumer and User Organization ( OCU) protested in October 2022 over the refusal to accept cash in flight, but none of the airlines responded to the complaint, and only cards can still be paid in the air.
Now OCU says it has filed a formal complaint to the authorities of Madrid in an attempt to force the airlines Iberia, Iberia Express, Air Europa, Iberojet, Plus Ultra, Volotea, Wamos Air and World2fly to accept cash payments on board.
OCU indicates that the consumer and user protection law , which came into effect in May 2022, prohibits refusing to pay for purchases in any way.
During the pandemic, many airlines companies and other retailers have stopped accepting cash payments to reduce contact between staff and customers, but after numerous complaints, Spanish legislation has been tightened and the right to pay in “real money” returned.
Consumer advocates argue that there are no medical grounds for artificial restrictions, and it also infringes on the rights of a large group of passengers who will not actually be able to buy anything on board.
“This is offensive and constitutes a serious breach of consumer protection regulations,” — the statement said.
The government can fine companies that refuse to pay in cash between 150 and 100,000 euros. According to experts, carriers are threatened with amounts with a “large number of zeros”, since their legal violation is considered serious.