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EU considers ‘one flight, one price’ rule
Business digest: Low-cost airlines such as Ryanair and Easyjet could soon be challenged over surcharges
The EU is considering bringing in a 'one flight, one price' rule for airline companies, following a number of complaints about excessive surcharges added on top of the advertised price.
Currently some airlines, particularly low-cost companies such as Easyjet and Ryanair, charge extra for checking in baggage, paying with a credit or debit card and booking seats.
The complaint is being pursued by Labour MEP Brian Simpson, who is chairman of the EU transport committee, and consumer watchdog Which?, who have filed a super-complaint to the Office of Fair Trading on the issue.
Adam Scorer, director of external affairs at Consumer Focus, said: "Customers don't want to be confused by finding a cheap headline price only to discover hidden costs when they delve beneath the surface. Firms should live or die by the cardinal rule of business – treat your customers fairly."
Read a full report at the Daily Telegraph. ·
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This article is a little confused I am afraid. I am very familiar with the transport systems of the EU - plane, train, car, and ferry - going to the UK, Belgium, France, Cyprus, Athens...and other places. When booking a flight you either get an all-in price at the desk if you buy in the airport, with a breakdown on the receipt, and more if you request it (normally by redirection to a website). When booking online you get all the charges laid out, with the final rolled-up price at the end, with the option to cancel before you hit your credit card, whether this a surcharged option or not. EasyJet and RyanAir do not wish to be hit with legitimate charges of mis-selling, after all.------------------This brings us to the illegitimate charges of mis-selling and misleading. The EU and its member states want to milk evermore streams of carbon taxes and VAT from all forms of transport. They see the poor cash-cow travelling citizen as a sort of free meal. When the cost-cutting airlines make it plain that it is the greedy EU and its servile member states that are larding on the charges, the EU, via the chairman of the Transport committee or the so-called European Parliament is wheeled out to be the spout of all pontifical hypocrisy and insist that the government charges be hidden by a catch-all minimum charge, just to punish the uppity cost-cutters who want the hard-pressed public to travel cheaper and be served better. Whose side am I on...let me think...
Maybe the 'business' rule should apply to MEP's too when it comes to their travel expenses and treating tax payers fairly about what and how they claim......