The Hindu : National : Air passengers complain about hidden charges

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Wednesday, Jan 02, 2008
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Air passengers complain about hidden charges

Ananth Krishnan

Say airlines’ advertising tactics are misleading

CHENNAI: If you see an airline advertisement offering a 10-rupee ticket between Chennai and Bangalore and you think you’re on to the deal of a life-time, think again.

Air travellers are getting increasingly frustrated by airlines’ advertising tactics, claiming that airlines are misleading them about the costs of flying by imposing hidden charges on tickets.

While it has now become commonplace for airlines to advertise fares as low as Rs.50 in the face of increasing competition, in reality, passengers discover that they have to end up paying as much as Rs.2,000 as a result of a number of surcharges and taxes that are imposed just before they book their tickets.

Passengers say that this form of advertising is misleading. It also makes it harder for them to compare fares across different airlines as surcharges can vary in how they are listed. “What airlines do is include a number of additional charges in the fine print,” says D. Sudhakara Reddy, President, Air Passengers’ Association of India.

“This is extremely unfair and deceptive, particularly for first-time flyers. They see an advertisement and think they can fly from Hyderabad to Chennai for Rs.500, and they choose to fly thinking it is the same cost as a train ticket.”

However, additional charges add up to more than Rs.2,000, including a Rs.1,650 fuel surcharge, Rs.150 for congestion charges and a Rs.225 passenger service fee.

Last week, the Directorate-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) hauled up two national carriers for misleadingly categorising fuel and congestion charges as taxes. “Airlines are actually collecting other service charges which actually go to them as though they are unavoidable taxes that are to be paid to the government,” Mr. Reddy says.

“The biggest problem with this is when it comes to refunds. For some reason, airlines say all these so-called taxes are non-refundable, which should not be the case.”

Duration of flight

Airlines also needed to make fuel and congestion charges commensurate with the duration of a flight. “Airlines are charging the same amount whether you fly to Bangalore or New Delhi, which doesn’t make sense,” he says. However, the DGCA is considering establishing a system of rates that will take into account the distance travelled in the imposition of taxes.

Mr. Reddy says that authorities in India need to follow the example of other countries where ticketing practices are becoming more transparent.

Singapore Airlines has announced that from January 1, it would advertise its fares as “all-inclusive” without leaving out any extra charges, which is a mandatory practice in several countries.

Recent European Union proposals will also soon make it illegal for airlines in Europe to add on charges over and above the prices they advertise.

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