Trading Standards reports budget airlines to OFT over ‘optional’ charges
04.04.08
Trading Standards is taking its battle against misleading prices on airline websites to the Office of Fair Trading (OFT). It is reporting Ryanair, SkyEurope and Bmibaby in bid to a crackdown on ‘optional charges’ for hold baggage, airport check-in and paying with credit cards.
The no-frills airlines are being targeted in the wake of a victory by Trading Standards and the OFT to force airlines to include all non-optional costs such as taxes in headline prices.
Trading Standards claims Ryanair is still not complying with its commitment to the OFT on non-optional costs, and wants the OFT to look at legal action to force it into line. But it also wants Ryanair and other airlines to include other ‘optional’ charges after an investigation found they caused ‘distress and inconvenience’ to consumers.
The Trading Standards investigation discovered confusion over baggage limits and charges for airport rather than online check-in, inaccurate weight machines, confusion over tick boxes to opt in or out of website charges, and ‘priority boarding’ charges that did not deliver what they promised.
Trading Standards is calling for a change in the law to make it illegal for airlines to ask consumers to tick a box to opt out of a charge, the inclusion of compulsory credit card charges in headline prices, airline staff to be regularly trained in correct use of weighing machines and clearer reference to baggage charges on websites.
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