Jurídicos y Administrativos

🏥 IAG, parent company of Iberia and Vueling, feels the impact of Trump's policies, noticing weakness in US-origin leisure travel economy class sales, offset by strength in premium cabins. Latin America and Europe markets remain strong, North Atlantic demand robust. As of May 6, 80% booked for Q2 with higher revenues than previous year; 29% booked for H2, on par with 2024. CEO Luis Gallego cites resilient demand in all markets, especially premium cabins, amidst macroeconomic uncertainty. Concerns include new tariff regimes and geopolitical dialogue between US, Russia, China, EU, and UK affecting markets and passenger flows.

🏕 In Catalonia, tourism tax is usually paid by guests to accommodations and later settled with the Catalan Tax Agency. Officials, Juli Fernández, Jaume Baró, and Cristina Lagé, briefed the tourism sector on plans to postpone the tax. A new decree with retroactive effect from May 1 will be approved next Tuesday to delay the tax hike initially set for May 1. This follows confusion at the Parlament on May 8, where the tax increase was theoretically validated. The hospitality industry's ConfeCat demands the immediate repeal of the decree law.

🏠 In Spain, the Tax Agency will include Airbnb hosts' incomes in taxpayers' fiscal data due to the European directive DAC7. Hosts with over 30 transactions or earnings above €2,000 in 2024 will be identified. Rental income must be declared as property income without fiscal reductions; additional services require VAT registration. This aims to increase transparency and compliance in vacation rental earnings.

👮 Manos Limpias filed a criminal complaint against Renfe and Adif presidents, Álvaro Fernández Heredia and Luis Pedro Marco, including María Esther Mateo and Andrés Cortabitarte, for alleged gross negligence after the AVE Madrid-Sevilla line stopped due to a cable theft on a Sunday. Over 10,000 passengers were stranded without food, water, or information. Approximately 150 meters of copper worth about €1,000 were stolen, disrupting service until Monday noon. The complaint cites Article 267 of the Penal Code, which considers sanctions for damages over €80,000.

✈ Ryanair has been ordered by the Court of First Instance and Preliminary Inquiry No. 1 of Vitigudino (Salamanca) to refund €147 to a passenger, Yolanda Garrido, for improperly charging for carry-on luggage on five flights between 2019 and 2024. The judge ruled that carry-on baggage is essential and cannot incur an additional fee, with no appeal against the decision. This adds to similar rulings against Ryanair and other airlines in Huesca, Valladolid, Cádiz, and San Sebastián. In November 2023, Spain fined five airlines, including Ryanair, €179 million for such practices. The air navigation law requires that the ticket include luggage transport, barring safety-related reasons regarding weight or size.

📅 Spain's Consumer Affairs Minister Pablo Bustinduy criticizes variable airline pricing, especially during peak travel dates. He labels the practice as exploitative, pointing out the inconsistency with fixed operational costs. His remarks come amid revelations that government-run Imserso travel programs will impose a €100 surcharge during high-demand periods, contrary to his stance on airline pricing. This highlights the government's own use of demand-based pricing without offering lower costs in off-peak times.

🏖️ The Catalan Parliament validated a tourist tax increase on Wednesday, causing confusion among accommodations due to immediate effect and legal uncertainty. Although a new decree is expected to suspend the hike until October, the tourism sector demands the repeal of the current decree. The Catalan Government advises against charging the increased tax until the new decree's approval next Tuesday. Political discord arose as the Commons did not support the postponement, leaving the PSC and ERC without a majority.

📰 Magistrate Juan Carlos Peinado acknowledged a phone call between ex-CEO Javier Hidalgo of Globalia and Begoña Gómez about unlocking Air Europa's rescue. Despite opposition from the prosecution and Gómez's defense, Peinado sees new evidence justifying further investigation, as Madrid's Provincial Court left open. The call, revealed via police report, occurred before the Council of Ministers' decision to approve funding. The detailed UCO report on the rescue and Gómez's potential role is forthcoming.

💰 Ávoris and Globalia received a €320 million rescue package from the Spanish State Industrial Holdings Company (SEPI) in March 2021. The National High Court has ordered SEPI to disclose the details, following its failed appeal. Companies eligible for the state bailouts had to prove pre-Covid solvency, justify the need to prevent bankruptcy, and present a viable future plan. Post-rescue, Barceló owned 50.5% and the Hidalgo family 49.5% of the new joint entity, but Barceló later acquired 100%.

📝 The Grupo Parlamentario Popular, led by Senator Agustín Almodóbar, aims to end anonymity in online consumer reviews by mandating identity verification and proof of purchase or service usage. They propose a motion to the Senate's Industry and Tourism Committee, urging the government to enforce the legal change, which includes banning fake or manipulated reviews on paid service platforms. Businesses, particularly in tourism and hospitality, suffer from negative impacts due to fraudulent reviews, with false negative comments potentially costing a restaurant 30% of its bookings in a week. The legislative reform would require verification systems, create a user complaint and review mechanism, and implement penalties for fraudulent accounts, as well as external audits of platforms.