Airlines in the US are facing a campaign for more transparent pricing after adopting Ryanair-style tariffs.
The Business Travel Coalition is attempting to gather the 25,000 signatures it needs by December 25 for a formal protest to the White House. If successful, the US Department of Transport is committed to reviewing and responding practices used by airlines.
The BTC’s We the People petition is being undertaken mainly on behalf of TMCs which argue that details of charges for ancillary services are being withheld from them.
It says that agents and travellers cannot efficiently compare total fare prices and must visit numerous airline websites to search for fees and pay separately for the services. These hidden fees represent “an unfair and deceptive marketing practice that is costing all air-travel consumers dearly”, the BTC said.
“The inability of travel agencies to quote and sell ancillary services for the airlines falls well within the scope of the DOT's authority to redress such practices,” said BTC chairman Kevin Mitchell.
The BTC wants a requirement for all airlines to provide ancillary fee information to all sales channels to allow true comparisons.
The US lags behind the UK in this area. Following a “super complaint” to the Office of Fair Trading led by Which? Magazine, budget airlines selling the in UK have since August been obliged to include debit and credit card fees in headline prices, allowing more accurate price comparisons. However extras not featured in the headline price include hold baggage and seat selection, which some business travellers regard as essential.