BA to introduce online booking fee
British Airways is to start charging customers a fee for booking tickets online, following complaints and the threat of legal action from travel agents who say they are being undercut.
Most media sources are suggesting that the fee will be around £1 but the Daily Mail is claiming that the amount will be “up to £10”.
The Times quotes BA’s sales manager Ian Heywood as saying: “Our customers will continue to be able to find our cheapest fares online. Some of the other fares will go up and others will go down.
“There is a cost attached to all selling channels, including the internet. Customers will choose the level of service that they require and will have the choice of where they get their tickets.”
However, the move has not been welcomed in all quarters; Ian Fremantle, of the Air Transport Users Council reportedly said: “This is a ridiculous move by BA. If everyone selling goods over the internet brought in a booking fee there would be uproar. An airline should be no different from a shop when it comes to selling goods.”
Ray Webster, boss of EasyJet, went even further and reportedly described the move as “lunacy”.
“Customers should be rewarded for using the cheapest available distribution channel, not penalised,” he said.
At the time of going to press, BA was unable to confirm the amount it would be charging following its decison to abolish commission payments to agents from May.
Report by Tim Gillett, News From Abroad Ltd
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