UK Ferry Tickets

Is it right that two people can be charged a total of £392 for a holiday to Lanzarote that has been advertised for £84 per person?

Not according to the Trading Standards Institute, which has laid into the travel business after uncovering misleading holiday prices, such as the one I’ve quoted, on the Internet.

It’s a big bug bear with many people that travel companies suck people in with cheap deals before adding on lots of supplements and I’ve written about it many times before.

Now the TSI wants the Office of Fair Trading to use the Enterprise Act 2002 to take action against companies which advertise holidays and flights at prices that fail to include must-pay extras, particularly high fuel supplements.

The TSI’s Bruce Treloar said: “This misleading and illegal cocktail of confusion is being allowed to flourish and consumers are clearly being enticed to check out particular holidays and flights with unrealistic prices.

“Travel firms are adding the word ‘from’ and then think it is acceptable to fail to offer any holidays which even come close to that magical figure, once must-pay supplements are added in.”

The problem, I’m afraid, is that Mr Treloar does not have the power to make any changes.

And besides, a precedent has already been made which said that no-frills carrier Ryanair could advertise lead-in prices, without extras, on its website (although curiously it must have all-inclusive fares on printed posters).

It will take an awful lot of public opinion to make the government take some action, unless they can think of a way of solving the problem by levying a tax somewhere.

It’s a case of let the buyer beware – and don’t believe all you read.

Guest Article by Jeremy Skidmore

Friday, May 18th, 2012