News: No-frills airlines given final warning over hidden costs
Flights > News > # 2161 (15/05/2009)
Some of Europe's biggest no-frills airlines have been given a final warning to include all compulsory charges in their online pricing.
The European Commission threatened to have airline websites that continued to break the rules shut down.
In March, checks found several carriers, including Ryanair and Easyjet, had not complied with previous orders to offer clear information and honest prices.
Those still defying the EC have been reported to the national fair trade bodies in their home states. They have also had to agree to meet minimum standards of clarity and honesty.
A failure to abide by these commitments could see legal action, fines or even the closure of websites by watchdogs in individual countries, such as the Office of Fair Trading in Britain.
Many no-frills airlines have advertised cheap flights that bear no relation to the total final price, which can be many times higher, once all extra compulsory charges are added.
The Commission wants member states to take action against offending airlines by July.
Commission Vice President Antonio Tajani, who is in charge of transport, said: “Applying full price transparency is an obligation under the air services regulation.
“It is our responsibility to ensure that all players respect the same rules. This is of first and foremost importance for the consumer who wants to compare prices across airlines and make a real choice.”
Easyjet has objected to the suggestion this is a problem of budget airlines, insisting it was an issue for the entire airline industry.
An Easyjet spokesman said: “Over the years Easyjet has been at the forefront of advocating transparent pricing to consumers and urging consistency across Europe, so we welcome the Commission's efforts to ensure that consumers are treated fairly and given the information they need to make informed decisions.
“We are currently in the process of changing the way our website presents different options to consumers and have kept the Commission informed of these.”
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