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Budget carriers criticised over web fare ‘add-ons’
Budget airlines are continuing to mislead consumers using their websites by failing to include extras such as taxes, fees and charges in their headline fares.
While many airlines, including British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Bmi and Air Southwest, now include extras in the fare throughout the booking process, many others – particularly low cost carriers – still strip them out, a study by the Air Transport Users Council found.
Those highlighted as continuing to add on charges were easyJet, Ryanair, Jet2, Flybe and Bmibaby.
The passenger body conducted a study last month into pricing on airline websites to see if there were still differences in taxes, fees and charges quoted by carriers from two years ago when the AUC originally reported on the practice.
AUC chairman Tina Tietjen said: “There remains a risk that passengers are not aware that airlines charge different TFCs on a route and therefore may not look at other airlines’ websites to compare fares.
“In addition, passengers now have a further problem in that they must compare prices between those airlines that include TFCs in their prices and those that don’t .”
The AUC called on all airlines to quote fares inclusive of all add-ons on their websites.
“This would mean passengers would be aware of what they would be paying in total up front and be able to compare airlines fares on a like for like basis and therefore would not be potentially misled into booking with one particularly carrier over another,” the AUC said.
by Phil Davies
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