OFT to investigate airline card charges
Airlines are to be investigated following claims from consumer groups that they are deliberatly hiding card charges from customers booking flights onlne.
The Office of Fair Trading warned airlines in June, following a super-complaint from the consumer group Which?, that unless they included debit card fees in their advertised fares it would take action against them.
Several carriers have since amended their websites to make card charges clear from the outset, but the OFT yesterday launched a formal investigation after consumer groups warned that several carriers were still only adding card charges at the end of the booking process, making it hard for customers to compare fares.
Card fees are believed to have cost UK air passengers an estimated £300m last year, with some airlines charging as much as £6 to £8 per passenger.
The airlines under investigation have not been named, but the OFT said several were involved and, according to the Financial Times, Flybe and Lufthansa and its subsidiary bmi are amongst those complying with the watchdog's investigation.
The OFT stressed that it was not assuming that any airlines were guilty of wrong-doing.
"If we do find airlines are breaking consumer protection laws, we could seek a High Court Injunction to force them to change their practices," said a spokeswoman. "We announced in June that, as customers have to pay for online bookings with a card, airlines must include debit card charges at the outset and we warned then that if they didn't we would be minded to take action.
"We have now launched a formal investigation."
Earlier this week, the consumers' association Which? pressed the government to ban surcharges for those booking flights using a debit card.
The OFT recommended the move and the Treasury said it was considering the recommendation.
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
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
France prepares for a massive strike across all transports on September 18
Turkish tourism stalls due to soaring prices for accommodation and food
CCS Insight: eSIMs ready to take the travel world by storm
Germany new European Entry/Exit System limited to a single airport on October 12, 2025
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt