Bmibaby misled customers, says advertising watchdog
Budget airline bmibaby has been found guilty by the advertising watchdog of misleading passengers with adverts claiming up to 40% discounts on all flights.
The Advertising Standards Authority ruled that bmibaby had exaggerated the size of the discounts in the headline of its ad, "Gotta fly, baby! Up to 40% off ALL flights!" It has banned the airline from repeating the ads, which appeared in March.
Although bmibaby had knocked up to 40% off airfares, the discount did not include airport taxes and charges. The airline pointed out that it made this clear in the terms and conditions, but as these were not highlighted,, the ASA said the average consumer would infer from the headline claim that the discount applied to the total cost of the flight.
"We considered the qualification that the discount only applied to the airfare was particularly significant and therefore should have been more prominently displayed in the main body of both ads," it said in its ruling.
The ASA has ordered bmibaby not to repeat the adverts.
By Linsey McNeill
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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