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The days of the 1-cent Ryanair fares may soon be over. And consumers will be better off.

If approved by 25 European governments and the EU parliament, the legislation proposed by the European Commission would force airlines to list the total price of a ticket up front. This means that all fees, fuel surcharges, taxes, etc., would need to be stated on websites and in newspaper advertising.

The legislation would also require that airlines charge European travelers the same fare, regardless of which country they call home. Sale fares could no longer be isolated to one country within the EU.

It’s about time. U.S. ticket sales are bad enough, with fares often advertised pre-tax, but the European airfare shell game takes the cake. Carriers like Ryanair falsely advertise ludicrously low base fares, which come with mandatory add-on fees that passengers may not even use — like the wheelchair charge that every passenger pays. The fuel surcharges on international flights are hardly any better. None of these fees are optional, and they go to the airline, not to any government. They’re really part of the fare, and should be treated as such. Period.

While many online travel agencies, and even some airlines, are working around this by giving the “total price” when you run a search, it’s still up to individual providers to decide whether they want to be honest with their customers or deceive them. The EC is right to be cracking down on this. I hope other governments follow suit.

See also:
- Senator slams surcharges
- Weakening airfare advertising regulation, redux
- U.S. regulators to weaken airfare advertisement rules?

tags: travel | false advertising | airfare