Make airlines advertise the real price

(PIAC – 19/03/08)—In the wake of CBC’s Feb. 27 Marketplace show, the Travel Protection Initiative (TPI) – a coalition of Canada’s consumer organizations and the travel industry – is demanding the federal government take action against Canadian airlines continuously misleading consumers by advertising artificially low fares. Marketplace revealed that Canadian customers were being deceived by airlines advertising fares that omitted items like fuel surcharges which often add 50% to the advertised cost.
“There is no reason that fuel surcharges should be segregated from the rest of the fare and kept out of the price,” said Michael Pepper, President of the Travel Industry Council of Ontario.
Last year, Bill C-11 gave the federal government power to require that airlines fall in line with practices in the travel industry in most of the country, as well as the United States and the EU, and advertise all-in prices for tickets.
“The government has no excuse for foot-dragging on this issue now that it has the power to protect passengers from airline misrepresentation,” said Michael Janigan, Executive Director of the Public Interest Advocacy Centre, which monitors airline issues.