The European Commission is looking at banning airline surcharges on advertised passenger fare, reports the Daily Mirror.
Under the proposed ’one flight, one price’ rule, airlines would no longer be able to charge customers additional fees for everything from processing credit cards to checking baggage, and even in-person check-in.
Currently, these fees can more than double the advertised price. A $75 trip on Ireland’s Ryanair carries a $63 hidden fee just to process a credit card – unless you happen to be paying with a special pre-paid MasterCard.
Consumer advocacy charity ‘Which?’ filed a complaint with the U.K.’s Office of Fair Trading over these credit card charges.
Ryanair has since added a $3.15 levy to each fare to cover costs incurred by delays and cancellations. The modest fee is expected to net the company over $200 million a year.
"The budget airlines clearly know that the game is up for card surcharges and are trying to squeeze their customers for every last penny before the regulators step in," notes Which?publication editor James Daley.