Airlines told by US regulators to include fees on advertised fares

Airline Industry Information, Nov 16, 2004

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The US Transportation Department has told airlines that they must include new charges added to tickets booked over the telephone or through travel agents on advertised fares.

Regulators had raised concerns that airlines were not listing the full price on advertisements to attract business and keep base fares low. Many big US domestic and international airlines have added surcharges ranging from USD5 to USD10 to tickets booked over the telephone or through travel agents.

The Transportation Department claims that airlines are offering fares without the added charges, violating the full-fare advertising rule, and said that it would fine airlines that do not make the necessary changes, reports Reuters.

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