Max Power Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 I find it incredible how airlines are allowed to advertise prices such as Euromanx with it's £19* to Liverpool offer (*including taxes) to find that the minimum you will pay is actually £21! You are charged £2 credit card fee even if you use a debit card. It's impossible to book any other way i.e. pay cash, so how is this acceptable practice? If the true prices were advertised before booking and this were enforced, it may reduce the desire for that last minute weekend trip, assisting in reducing the number of flights demanded by the public? By the time the true cost is realised during making the booking you have normally made your decision and just click proceed anyway! Do any other industies advertise all inclusive prices to find that essential add ons are charged, including luggage and taxes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Declan Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 I raised the debit card charge with the Office of Fair Trading. Essentially, I was told since you are advised of the fee before committing to book your flight, you make your decision on whether to accept the flight on that basis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Power Posted March 19, 2008 Author Share Posted March 19, 2008 I raised the debit card charge with the Office of Fair Trading. Essentially, I was told since you are advised of the fee before committing to book your flight, you make your decision on whether to accept the flight on that basis. I can understand that reasoning to a point, but you have probably made your initial decision based on the advertising. Then to be presented with a whole raft of additional charges just at the point that you have to make a decision yes or no, which will invariably be yes as you are all revved up for a break! If anything they should be forced to have a completely transparent pricing policy. I know that the industry i'm in wouldn't get off lightly if they tried these tactics and for the amounts involved! Two pounds isn't really an issue, but baggage and taxes can become quite a large amount. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lonan3 Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 I raised the debit card charge with the Office of Fair Trading. Essentially, I was told since you are advised of the fee before committing to book your flight, you make your decision on whether to accept the flight on that basis. Why go all that trouble when you could just whinge on here like everyone else? People have been banned for less! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emma Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 Whilst on this topic... does anyone know why the taxes and charges change on different flights in the day? Is there higher tax or more expensive fuel after lunchtime or something. I too had a nosey and got the £19 fare, but I thought, sod it I'll get the earlier flight home rather than the 7.30pm one and the fare increased £13 (not bothered on that), but the tax/charges also increased by another £9!!! - I am missing something? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Declan Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 I raised the debit card charge with the Office of Fair Trading. Essentially, I was told since you are advised of the fee before committing to book your flight, you make your decision on whether to accept the flight on that basis. Why go all that trouble when you could just whinge on here like everyone else? People have been banned for less! Takes about as long to type an e-mail as it does to start a thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karellen Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 The complexity and lack of transparency on airlines fees and taxes is concerning. As an example, try to book a return flight to Liverpool on the FlyBe website and in addition to the fare, the taxes and charges are £31.59 out and £6.39 return (increasing to £17.50 on the return leg if you are booking a day trip). Then try to book each leg as a one way flight - on the same flights. The taxes and charges on the outward are £18.90 and £6.39 return. You have to see through the charges and look at the total cost...including debit card fee, luggage fee, seat reservation fee...but can anyone explain why taxes and charges are not fixed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asitis Posted March 20, 2008 Share Posted March 20, 2008 Airlines should be made to publish the actual costs of travel, not a cost based around their advertising, if all had to do it then they still could advertise a good deal. I recently booked two seats with flybe with a return price advertised on page one of the web site of £26.70 each, by checkout the total price was £438.00 ! The man in the street is interested in what is coming out of his wallet not to who it goes ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThieBane Posted March 20, 2008 Share Posted March 20, 2008 The issue is - IMHO - that the charges passed on for 'processing' credit or debit cards are totally at odds with what the companies are actually charged by the card providers. This has been brushed over by the OFT in their report. OFT Investigates booking costs I think on average Visa / Mastercard charges are around 0.8% to 1% and maestro fees slightly lower. can't remember exactly, been a while since I saw the fees. So if you buy a ticket costing say a hundred quid, you should really be charged no more than a pound, rather than the appalling six quid you're charged on a 38 pounds return ticket which I've recently been charged. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluemonday Posted March 20, 2008 Share Posted March 20, 2008 A classic case of Caveat Emptor. If they can rip you off, they will. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Ayres Posted March 20, 2008 Share Posted March 20, 2008 So, if I book a round trip to Liverpool I am charged a card fee on both legs. £4. If I book same trip for four people the charge is quadrupled. £16. Both these trips entail one booking and one credit card debit. Should just be £2 surely? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
"V" Posted March 20, 2008 Share Posted March 20, 2008 I contacted the OFT about Euromanx but got no where. I was late for a flight because of weather delays. I phoned them to say it was likely I would miss the flight. I landed at Manchester at 19.00 and knew I then wouldn't get to the 19.40 flight - so I phoned their office to change the flight - it was already closed. The result was I had to repurchase the tickets in full (2 adults/2 kids = £400!!). I had paid about £120 in taxes on the original flight so I thought I could get that back but when you read the small print there is a £25 per person per sector "admin charge" to reclaim taxes - TOTAL RIP OFF! That weekend because of the weather there were about three or four other families in the same situation so you can just how much money they can "earn" from taxes at your expense. The whole thing is just wrong. The fares quoted should include everything you need to fly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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