03 April 2008

Trading standards find faulty check-in baggage scales

Airlines are over charging passengers for check-in baggage, according to an investigation by the Trading Standards Institute.

It said tests at one airport found check-in scales were faulty, so customers were charged wrongly for Ã¢â¬ËœexcessÃ¢â¬â¢ weight.

At the request of BAA, it visited one particular airline after complaints about the accuracy of a baggage weigher.

On testing 18 sets of scales, officials found 10 were showing a weight on the machine even before the customerÃ¢â¬â¢s baggage was lifted on.

Ã¢â¬ÅâœThe significance of these errors is compounded by the fact that all check-in staff at every airport in the UK can easily correct the indication on the scales by pushing a button, which sets the scale indication to zero, before the consumer is asked to put their baggage on,Ã¢â¬~ said Bruce Treloar, TSIÃ¢â¬â¢s national lead officer for holidays and travel.

Ã¢â¬ÅâœSince February 2006, we have been raising concerns about the lack of transparency of flight pricing and the OFT last August announced it was taking action against 13 online airlines over misleading holiday pricing.

Ã¢â¬ÅâœBut our investigation proves that a number of airlines are finding new ways to add extra charges to flight prices.Ã¢â¬~

The TSI investigation also found:

- Increasing confusion with baggage limits and extra charges levied by airlines when luggage is checked in at the airport, rather than online when the booking is made.

- Inaccuracy of scales used to weigh luggage at airport check-ins.

- A bewildering use of Ã¢â¬Ëœtick boxesÃ¢â¬â¢ on websites. One required customers to put a tick in a box to avoid extra charges Ã¢â¬' while on the same site they were required to remove the tick to avoid extra charges

- Families with children and people with disabilities, including those with visual impairments, cannot check in baggage online, resulting in extra charges at the airport.

Ã¢â¬ÅâœThe findings of our investigation show that, despite the spotlight being on them , airlines are still not being up front about the true cost of flights Ã¢â¬' and itÃ¢â¬â¢s clearly a nightmare for consumers," said Treloar.

A spokeswoman for ABTA added: "Transparent pricing is very important to ABTA, its members and the credibility of the industry.

Ã¢â¬ÅâœNon-optional extras have to be included in headline prices, but where other costs maybe incurred - such as baggage charges - companies must do their utmost not to mislead."

By Bev Fearis

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Your Comments (3)

Airline Scams

Well done Bruce for your comments. The airlines involved and we all know whom they are have stuck two fingers up at you by just designing new ways to scam and rip customers off. They are all at it by trying to confuse allowances of both hand and hold luggage. It needs some policy to be introduced across the board and enforcing to standardise what must be included on every flight. I think all flight prices should include a standard amount of hand luggage weight and size and a specific weight of 20 kilos and one piece per passenger as it was a number of years ago. Airport check in should also be included with an option to reduce the cost by opting to do this online. Only if however they can offer this to all customers regardless of whether you are checking luggage in or not. Give customers the option to reduce the price by not taking luggage or checking in online rather than add all of the costs after. Set uniform standards across all flights so there is clarity and no confusion as there is now. Another area that needs tackling is credit card fees. One airline now charges &#pound;3 per passenger per flight which is another way they are hiding costs. Someone has to limit this as mark my word you will see them all increase these charges which are actually subsidising the cost of the flight. We are practically reaching the point with that specific airline that card charges are more than the cost of the flight. I really feel as per your comment that the airlines deliberately set out to contrive to confuse the customer in many ways so as to make them pay penalties. Its time it stopped and this can only be enforced by OFT. You need to set down specific items that must be included and enforce this. No doubt they will fight you but someone has to have the strength to say enough is enough. The sooner the better as far as all of us having to work with customers using those flights are concerned. Steve

By Steve Norris, Thursday, April 3, 2008
desinite money maker

We recently returned from holiday and as a family were 20kg under our baggage allowance but 1 bag was 17kg 2kg above the limit the options were to pay 20euro or repack and go to the back of the queue and start again, many took what appeared to be the easy option and pay however payment had to be made at the other side of the airport prior to collecting boarding cards from the front of the queue. This is total madness

By Elizabeth Quinn, Thursday, April 3, 2008
not just UK airports

On our return from Tenerife in January, the scales were already showing 1kg before any baggage was put on them. With only 15kg allowance, the airline were charging excess to a lot of passengers.

By tracey stuart, Thursday, April 3, 2008