Flights at gold price after the Toledo accident: is it legal to raise them so much?

BarcelonaThe train accident in Urda, in the province of Toledo, which has caused 69 deaths, also has consequences for transport alternatives between Madrid and Andalusia. With high-speed rail traffic interrupted, travelers must look for alternatives by road or air, which may increase the demand for flights. In a fare inquiry for the Seville-Madrid route, the lowest visible price for a specific date has gone from about 50 euros to nearly 200, according to searches made on Google Flights.

Google Flights, Google's flight search engine, shows a typical price range for November of between 50 and 115 euros for the Seville-Madrid journey and between 50 and 175 euros for the Madrid-Seville journey. But now the fares currently visible on the calendar for flights available in November average 164.23 euros for the Seville-Madrid route and 153.40 euros for the Madrid-Seville route. These averages are an independent calculation based on the prices consulted, not a statistic published by the search engine nor proof that the accident has caused the price increase.

In view of the increase in demand, Iberia has limited the prices of its flights between Madrid and Andalusia until November 8 to a maximum of 99 euros per journey in tourist class and 149 euros in business. The company has also strengthened its offer: yesterday it added 520 seats, 20% more, and this Thursday it announced an increase of 42%, up to 1,080 additional seats. For Friday, it plans to offer 1,760 extra seats. These are commercial measures by Iberia, not a mandatory cap for all airlines.

In parallel, two screenshots from the Iberia Express website with the same schedules for the Madrid-Seville route show significant price differences between two queries. The 7:20 a.m. flight appears at 30.53 euros in one screenshot and at 98.53 euros in the other, and the 7:50 p.m. flight goes from 30.53 to 90.53 euros. Fares fluctuate daily and can increase when demand grows. And in these two specific cases, the price has almost tripled.

Is it legal to raise prices so much?

Airlines can modify the price of unsold tickets based on demand and available seats, provided they comply with consumer regulations. A sudden increase is not illegal in itself, and each case must be analyzed to determine if there has been an infringement. Once the ticket is purchased, the company cannot unilaterally increase the agreed price.

In February, Congress repealed Royal Decree-Law 4/2026, which allowed the Spanish government to temporarily limit prices in emergency situations. The rule, approved following the Adamuz rail accident, did not establish an automatic cap for flights: a specific government decision was required. The repeal eliminated this tool, but not the rest of the consumer protection mechanisms.