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Co-op attacks misleading pricing policies
The Co-op has launched a scathing attack on operators and agents after research showed more than 40 per cent of people feel they are being misled about the true cost of their holiday.
The Co-op’s Holiday Report details how operators add supplements, many of them compulsory, to basic prices, which can add hundreds of pounds to the cost of holidays. It says agents also have a responsibility to put correct prices in their windows.
The report said extra charges added between £32 and £51 per person on standard European deals for summer 2005, equating to up to £102 per couple and £204 for a family of four.
At the start of the holiday season, the Co-op has urged companies to rethink their policies before lasting damage is done to the industry. The practice of adding supplements to basic prices has also come under fire from the Trading Standards Institute, which regards the practice as illegal.
Last month, Trading Standards successfully prosecuted Ryanair over the issue. The airline was fined £24,000 for six breaches of the Consumer Protection Act for failing to accurately present the real cost of air tickets by excluding mandatory charges for insurance and tax.
Co-operative Trading Travel Group chief Mike Greenacre said: “The practice is getting out of hand when more than 40% of people feel they are being misled.
“The public is attracted by low prices and it’s only when they follow through that mandatory supplements such as fuel supplements and ticket-on-departure charges are revealed.
“Transfers and in-flight meals are usually counted as optional extras on late deals but our experience shows 90% of people pay the extra charge for transfers and 60% want the meal.
“Late deals are principally advertised on websites, teletext and travel agents’ windows. The price put in the window is down to agents – websites and teletext price breakdowns come straight from the holiday company.”
Phil Davies
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