Air Asia X has said it did not intend to mislead the public in its website pricing after being fined under Australia’s consumer protection laws.
The Federal Court in Melbourne this week fined Air Asia X USD200,000 for contravening a requirement for airlines to advertise one price, including taxes and charges, for its fares.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission said the case followed a 10-month period during which the www.airasia.com website did not display some airfare prices inclusive of all taxes, duties, fees and other mandatory charges "in a prominent way and as a single figure".
Justice Tracey said unless the full price is prominently displayed the consumer may well be attracted to a transaction which he or she would not otherwise have found to be appealing and grudgingly pay the additional imposts rather than go to the trouble of withdrawing from the transaction and looking elsewhere."
Air Asia issued a media statement and then recalled it shortly after, but not before it appeared in several Malaysian publications.
In the statement, AirAsia X CEO Azran Osman-Rani said in part: "The fine of A$200,000 imposed as compared to the range of A$520,000 to A$650,000 sought by the ACCC reflects the court’s acknowledgement of the lack of any intention to mislead on the part of AirAsia."
AirAsia X said it is now complying with the single price requirement
