Buying airline tickets online
[14th May 2008]
The EU has found that a third of consumers are being ripped off, misled or confused when they try to buy airline tickets online.
The EU surveyed 386 websites in 13 EU countries plus Norway selling airline tickets and penalised 137 of them. But only half of these websites have made any improvements.
The focus of the EU investigation was unfair contract terms, and its findings are alarming. No less than one third of the websites were found to be breaching consumer law. Many of the sites were found to have more than one error, including misleading pricing, advertised offers that were unavailable, and irregular contract terms.
A lack of transparency is also noted by the EU. Most countries in the EU are unable to publish lists of offenders while cases are still in court. However, there have been some national surveys of airline booking sites.
The EU says that enforcement work will be stepped up and it will monitor developments between now and May 2009 before deciding where it needs to intervene.
"I hope operators have now realised the determination of the commission to act on behalf of consumers where necessary," says EU consumer commissioner, Meglena Kuneva. If airlines don’t improve their sales and marketing practices by 1st May 2009, Kuneva says the EU "will have no choice but to intervene".
The EU says it wants to see the first price advertised being the final price paid, any limitations on special offers being clearly flagged, and fair contracts available in the consumer's native language.
Written by: Nick Purdom
The widest choice and best prices on Airport Car Parking in the UK when you book with Holiday Extras
Related News Articles
easyJet launches twinning campaign | Liverpool and Malaga - 12/12/2023
easyJet is spear-heading a campaign for Liverpool to be the first UK city to twin with Malaga, marking 10 years of easyJet flights between the two cities.Ryanair calls on passengers to vote | July 9, 2009 - 12/12/2023
Leading low-cost airline Ryanair is calling on its passengers to vote in an online poll to determine whether they would be willing to stand on short flights if it meant travelling for free.Calls for tax to be scrapped as Dublin Airport traffic falls | July 9, 2009 - 12/12/2023
Ryanair has again called on the Irish government to scrap the €10 travel tax as Dublin Airport's June traffic fell 14%.
