The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has confirmed it will investigate hidden fees charged by airlines on top of basic ticket prices.
It will look at whether additional costs are presented to customers in an “open and clear” way.
The CAA said “anything that is an additional charge will be looked at”, including name changes on a booking, re-issuing of boarding passes or check-in at the airport rather than online.
CAA said it will help “people understand what they are actually paying for”.
The review will not be limited to UK carriers but encompass every airline selling tickets in the country.
“The government and the CAA continue to emphasise to the airlines the importance of compliance with ticket transparency obligations,” said the UK transport minister Robert Goodwill.
“To enhance consumer protection in this area, the CAA will start work on unfair contract terms with the airlines this summer.”
it will also look into the transparency of charging for in-flight meals, advance seat selection, paying by credit card and putting bags into the hold.
Transparency around additional fees is a common complaint by passengers as well as a big cash cow for many airlines. According to The Daily Telegraph, European airlines made almost £13 billion (US$18.9 billion) in 2015 by levying such charges and the sale of extras including food and insurance.
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