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Crackdown on offers by no frills airlines
The EU looks set to crack down on no frills airlines over claims they are misleading customers about ticket prices. The European Commission is threatening to close down websites of over half of Europe's airlines.
Examples of allegedly misleading prices includes an offer Amsterdam to Barcelona for €40 return when the actual cost is €120 when charges and taxes ar eadded.
European Commissioner for Consumer Affairs, Meglena Kuneva, says investigators in a EU-wide sweep of airline ticket websites found many problems such as tickets advertised as free until chargess were added, tickets advertised at 'low' or 'lowest price' or special offers but for which no flights can be booked and contract terms in a foreign language.
The EC wants clear pricing in headline offers advertised on websites, plus additional charges such as taxes, booking or credit card fees indicated in early stages of booking. They also want terms and conditions of travel clearly stated and the number of seats available in special offers used to lure consumers into the process of booking a flight.
The Commision claims unfair practices include mandatory insurance attached to an offer and contract terms and conditions not displayed in the language of the consumer. The investigation included over 400 websites of Europe's leading airlines, low-cost carriers and travel websites. Over half of all these websites showed irregularities.
This article was written for TravelSavvy Europe by Brian Day. If you know of an interesting European travel related news story, please get in contact.
