The European Union has introduced new laws to ensure that passengers get a fair deal when it comes to air fares.
This week the European Parliament adopted a legislative report stating that “all fares published in any form and addressed to the public must include all taxes, fees and charges added to the ticket price and known at the time of publication of the air fare.”
Compiled by MEP Arunas Degutis, the report looks especially at internet bookings, which are often the only way to reserve flights with low-cost airlines.
Critics have argued that the true cost of a flight is often hidden underneath attractive “headline fares” – sometimes as low as 1p – and that this practice is misleading.
Air fares will now have to include comprehensive information on “all applicable taxes, non-avoidable charges, surcharges and fees known at the time of publication (ie. taxes, or duties, fees and other costs).”
Airlines will also have to display security charges separately on the ticket, or otherwise indicate them to passengers. They must be transparent, “and shall be used exclusively to meet airport or onboard aircraft security costs.”
Irish MEP Jim Higgins commented: “The obligation on airlines to introduce full transparency is extremely welcome and very important, because the consumer will now see from the very outset exactly what he or she will have to pay.”
