easyJet censured over "BA con" advertisement

Airline Industry Information, Jan 30, 2003

AIRLINE INDUSTRY INFORMATION-(C)1997-2003 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD

Budget airline easyJet has been criticised by the UK's Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) for an advertisement which appeared in the national and regional press.

The ad was headlined "Low fares needn't BA con!" and implied that low fares offered by British Airways were a con. Across the UK, 25 members of the public complained that the advertisement unfairly denigrated British Airways' business and staff, and that it misleadingly compared prices for British Airways flights and easyJet flights.

The advertising authority ruled that the use of the words "con", "trickery" and "rob" in the ad suggested dishonesty and went beyond what was acceptable in competitive advertising. However, the comparison of ticket prices was considered to be clear and fair.

((Comments on this story may be sent to aii.feedback@m2.com))