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FIFTEEN airlines and 22 internet sites selling airline tickets online continue to dupe consumers with misleading offers, despite a European Commission "health check," according to a study published today. As a result of an EU "enforcement investigation” started in September 2007 – with 15 EU national authorities and Norway – 115 airline websites out of the 137 websites investigated have been corrected.
Following an additional "health check” process involving independent mystery shoppers in March on 67 major airlines, 52 airlines were given a "clean bill of health” – either immediately remedying any problems or promising to do so, the European Commission found through its studies. Among the points consumers still need to look out for are unclear price information, whereby extra non-optional charges are added throughout the booking process, sometimes at the end.
Also there can be a problem with availability of an eye-catching offer, when there was no real availability in the first place. Other problems can include contract terms written in a different language, prices given in an unfamiliar currency and no indication of how to contact the website making the offer. Iberia, SAS and TAP, Finnair, Air Malta and Tarom were among those receiving a clean bill of health from Brussels.
Lufthansa, Alitalia, Air Lingus, Austrian Airlines, Lot, Brussels airlines, Swiss, Ryanair and Easyjet were on the list of those which have promised to correct existing problems. Air France-KLM and British Airways were among airline which did not make it on to either list, although no reason was given.
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